On 13 April 2009, Obsidian Wings in The Regulatory Origins of the Internet reminds us that the birth and continuing success of the Internet is due to regulatory oversight and initial R&D funding by the government. Importantly, the government did not allow the phone companies to dictate the terms of access.

‘Wisely, in the Computer Inquiries proceedings, the FCC opted for open, nondiscriminatory access.  The Twitters of yesteryear didn’t need permission from AT&T to start their business.  The nondiscriminatory access that made the Internet successful didn’t happen because AT&T was full of benevolent, far-seeing souls.  It was because of government regulation.  (On an aside, that’s why the fight over net neutrality is actually a battle to maintain a ridiculously successful status quo).

‘Given that the Internet is probably the single greatest advance of mankind since the printing press, you could plausibly argue that the Internet is regulation’s crown jewel.’

Let’s hope that environment continues to prevail.