This interview with Dave Farber (credit to KMB Video Journal) – widely regarded as the “Grandfather of the Internet” – is timely given all the buzz around FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski’s call for a greater government role in the Internet’s day-to-day operations.
Farber expresses concern around the potential impact on broadband-fueled innovation. He also worries that greater government intervention creates an environment of uncertainty that may make it difficult for technologists and engineers to innovate.
“It’s difficult to understand how you do technical design in the presence of hazy potential regulations. I can see myself and others in technical fields spending an inordinate amount of time wondering if a particular design will pass through the gates,” Farber said. “That’s the problem with these things. You end up really slowing down the ability of the network designers to protect the network and to give good services to subscribers, and that turns out to be potentially dangerous.”
Farber says that the Internet “blossomed” because in the 1990s the government made the wise decision to not inhibit the growth of “the goose that lays the golden egg.” He continues today to question whether government should really be in the business of managing such a dynamic platform for growth and innovation.
Farber concludes by saying that while business has the obligation to act in good-faith and continue to support the free and open Internet we all enjoy today, there is nothing to justify such a significant shift in the U.S. regulatory approach to the Internet.
…More thoughtful commentary on this high-stakes debate.
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