What is Net Neutrality?

Net Neutrality means that Internet service providers may not discriminate between different kinds of content and applications online (http://www.savetheinternet.com). With the continual expansion of the internet and the growing need for internet access, a debate is going on in Washington about the control and future of the internet. “One of the most important features of the Internet is its openness: It uses free, publicly available standards that anyone can access and build to, and it treats all traffic that flows across the network in roughly the same way.” (https://fcc.gov) Right now the debate in Washington is to determine wither or not ISPs are considered Common Carriers. “A common carrier is anyone who transports a good or service,” and there's a law that prohibits them from discriminating between what they carry, who they transport to, and where they go. Right now net neutrality on the verge of disappearing and letting ISPs determine if they will let you access a certain site or add additional fees for how you access them. 

 

The biggest cable and telephone companies would like to charge money for smooth access to Web sites, speed to run applications, and permission to plug in devices. The network owners say they want a "tiered" Internet. If you pay to get in the top tier, your site and your service will run fast. If you don't, you'll be in the slow lane. (http://www.savetheinternet.com) 

 

Companies like Google, Facebook, and Amazon do not fear from this because it will cut competition and increase their user count, because they can afford to pay to stay on top. While if some creates their own website, it will get thrown on the bottom and will take forever to load. 

 

Net neutrality is a key part of what the internet was made to be, free and accessible. The creators of the internet are fighting for net neutrality to keep their vision alive and their work free. They agree that ISPs should be considered common carriers and be prohibited from restricting or favoring. “A common carrier that maintained the backbone of actual wires as a heavily regulated utility and a customer-facing Internet service provider that competed with other ISPs on that same backbone.” (http://busisnessweek.com) They created the idea of the internet for all people to use to avoid discrimination. 

 

Net neutrality is keeping the internet free and open, it keeps your ISP from charging you extra fees or keep you from accessing your favorite websites. The debate in Washington will determine if the internet remains the way it is. Depending on their decisions will affect if future of the internet and how information and communication develop and change.

References

Free Press. (2014, February). Net Neutrality101.

Retrieved from http://www.savetheinternet.com/net-neutrality-101

Federal Communication Commission. (2014, February). Open Internet.

Retrieved from http://transition.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/openinternet.pdf

Greeley. (2014, February). Solving the Net Neutrality Problem Is Actually Simple.

Retrieved from http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-01-17/solving-the-net-neutrality-problem-is-actually-very-very-simple