[pvn]

[ QUOTE ]
Let competition drive the marketplace.

[/ QUOTE ]

Exactly. The problem isn't that ISPs will be able to selectively throttle traffic. The problem is that the number of ISPs is artificially limited by government protectionism in the first place.

Telcos are making a big mistake by opposing this legislation. If they get their way, the next move will be to further deregulate their industries, opening the way for more competition. The only reason they are in a position to extort higher fees for passing traffic in the first place is the legacy of government monopoly-granting in the telco industry, which grew into the data-moving industry.

The smart move for the incumbents is to accept this regulation and use it as bargaining power to get legislators to continue errecting artificial barriers to entry. Of course, that is probably their plan anyway, and they're putting on a spectacle by feigning opposition.