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The Internet won't really slow down on Internet Slowdown Day - Tech Chronicles

The latest online demonstration to support keeping the Internet a level playing field sounds more drastic than it is: A host of left-leaning groups are calling next Wednesday “Internet Slowdown Day” to protest proposed FCC rules that would no longer force Internet service providers to treat all online traffic equally. Tech companies — from Google to the smallest startup — oppose the change, and want to preserve what they call net neutrality.

But the internet won’t actually slow down on Wednesday, Sept. 10. At least not because of this protest. Sites participating in the protest will merely post the “spinning wheel of death” icon to mark the day and urge users to contact the FCC or Congress. As Free Press, one of the organizing groups stressed Wednesday: “Sites will employ icons that symbolize a slower Internet, but will not actually load more slowly.”

Most of the US has no broadband competition at 25Mbps, FCC chair says | Ars Technica

About 80 percent of Americans homes could buy 25Mbps broadband, but generally from only one provider, he said. “At 25Mbps, there is simply no competitive choice for most Americans,” Wheeler said. “Stop and let that sink in... three-quarters of American homes have no competitive choice for the essential infrastructure for 21st century economics and democracy. Included in that is almost 20 percent who have no service at all! Things only get worse as you move to 50Mbps where 82 percent of consumers lack a choice.”