Cable companies are in for a fight

Chalk one up for the little guy or at least anyone who doesn't want the big cable companies to limit what its customers can do online.

 The New York Times reported Saturday that the FCC is against efforts by Comcast and others to slow down the internet connections of customers who are moving large amounts of data at busy times. The feds say they're inclined to start regulating what the companies can do in this regard.

Efforts to control the flow of information is also one of the big concerns of free speech advocates and others who view the internet as a vital mechanism of free speech and access to information. But the cable companies say their networks have limited capacity, making it necessary to control usage.

This is one of those issues that going to engender a huge debate, lawsuits and a general public backlash. I wouldn't be surprised if it becomes at least a minor issue in the presidential campaign. The cat is out of the bag, so to speak, and making it harder for people to share information when they want to is not going to be acceptable.