Net Nutrality and How it Affects You
A friend sent me a link to this article in Popular Mechanics on network neutrality. For anyone who uses the internet (probably all of you since you’re reading this online) net neutrality is an important topic to pay attention to. What net neutrality boils down to is whether a cable provider has the right to control the bandwidth you pay for, and control your actions online.
From the article:
Stepping back, underlying the issue of net neutrality is a more fundamental policy question: Is Internet service a public utility? If the answer is yes, then many people would assume that it should be subject to robust yet flexible regulation on par with what exists for water, natural gas, telephone and electrical service.
I tend to agree with the idea that internet service is a public utility versus a luxury good. Over the past decade internet use has become a standard way to access bank accounts, search for information, and find news. Many politicians believe in an “ownership society” where the average American invests for themselves or finds information on healthcare themselves. The internet is by far the easiest, quickest, and most efficient means for people to do this. Add to that the difficulty for many to switch internet providers and you have an example of a natural monopoly, which is a classic case of when government intervention is necessary.
If it came down to a company managing your bandwidth, would it be unreasonable for them to manage what websites you visit? Here is another possibility:
If internet providers are given the leeway to control how bandwidth is distributed, could certain companies pay to have there websites given special treatment? If you want to use higher bandwidth services such as youtube, would you have to pay for it? I realize this is a bit of a landslide argument, but given today’s financial problems I think it’s wrong to assume that companies will do what’s best for everyone.
This is something that everyone should pay attention to, and vote accordingly. The article in Popular Mechanics is a good place to start reading. Wikipedia has a good article on net neutrality if you’re interested in reading more. As always if you have something to add, leave a comment!
2 comments
An interesting topic for sure.
I wonder - How do bundle packages through cable companies price bandwidth? It seems to be a growing trend that people get their internet service through their cable company - Or what about larger computer banks like college campuses or work place settings - Should they have to pay more because of a higher consentration of use? I’m curious if those additional charges might be absorbed by docking employee pay or increasing student fees in the future - Perhaps employers and administration(s) already are?
Oh man, if this happens…..I can’t even imagine how much they would charge for the internet package that included the pr0n sites.