[lug] [OT] Qwest's changes Subscriber Agreement...

[Timothy Klein]

On 17 Jan 2006, at 10:17 AM, Nick Golder wrote:

> I had a chance to review the changes and found that Section 7 was
> interesting.  So was Section 9.  Time to start looking for a new
> high-speed provider.

It's much worse than you think.  Qwest has successfully petitioned  
the FCC for the ability to boot competing local exchange carriers and  
ISPs off of the Qwest network for essentially any reason Qwest wishes.

It is strongly suspected by telecom insiders that what Qwest intends  
to do is make non-Qwest ISPs *also* adhere to the general terms of  
the Qwest TOS, which was changed in close proximity to the  
aforementioned FCC petition.

In other words, Qwest wants that TOS to be universal, even if you use  
an independent ISP.  Which, if that happens, means running servers on  
DSL lines is now disallowed unless you buy a business package.

I hope it does not turn out that way, but the people at the FCC have  
royally screwed up in what they have allowed the RBOCs to do over the  
last 4 years.  We are gradually moving back towards complete monopoly  
over the local loop by the RBOCs (SBC has been even worse than Qwest).

Lovely.

Tim