[Pio1980]

Originally Posted by whell

Unlike the ISP's, Google and Facebook have far less infrastructure costs and also don't have to pay to redistribute content (i.e., the fees the ISP's pay to content providers like ESPN, A&E, History Channel, etc.). Seriously the crap programming that you have to pay for in your cable bill just to get the few channels that you might want to watch makes cable TV service VERY unattractive to a growing number of folks, particularly the millennials who want to watch what they want, when they want to watch it. The market share losses that cable TV is losing are significant.

Google and Facebook are not also facing pressure from cellular, and folks who are dropping their cable programming in favor of getting their content exclusively from the internet or terrestrial broadcasters (like our household does).

Again, I'm not trying to specifically defend this. I don't like anyone "hoovering up" my browsing activity. However, the content delivery marketplace is changing and to the extent that this regulatory change is in response to that reality, I guess I understand why its being done.

Essentially, pay to play, one way or another.