A short presentation using the example of mafia protection money to explain internet fast lanes.

1. Kevin Bondelli

2. IMAGINE TWO BUSINESSES
Company A and Company B
are direct competitors,
providing the same products.
Customer C is equidistant
from each business.

3. THE INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS ASK FOR $
The ISP, in the role of the Mafia,
approaches each business asking for
money in order for their customers to
reach them via the fast lane.
This is effectively the ISP asking for
protection money.

4. THE ISP DIVERTS THE PATH FOR THOSE THAT
DON’T PAY
Company A is a smaller
business and can’t afford to
pay.
Company B is a large
corporate business and can
easily pay for an advantage.

5. THE ISP DIVERTS THE PATH FOR THOSE THAT
DON’T PAY
The ISP has now created the
same effect as putting a
roadblock up between the
customer and Company A.
The Customer can still go to
Company A, but it will take
them twice as long
compared to going to
Company B.

6. Even if the ISP is not throttling the connection
to Company A, but only increasing the
connection speed to Company B, the effect is
the same.
Though unlike mafia protection money, the
companies aren’t pressed to pay just one
organization, but each and every ISP that
provides internet to their customers.

7. An increasing number of products an services are delivered digitally.
Livestreaming, video streams and downloads, music streams and downloads,
video games, cloud storage, photo sharing, and software downloads would all
be affected by allowing ISPs to sell fast lane advantage.
Allowing such a policy would stifle innovation, increase the barriers to entry for
entrepreneurs, and decrease competition for wealthy corporations.

8. PROTECT NET NEUTRALITY
Check out the following groups that fight to protect the internet:
Save the Internet http://www.savetheinternet.com/
Demand Progress http://www.demandprogress.org/
Fight for the Future http://www.fightforthefuture.org/
Electronic Frontier Foundation https://www.eff.org/
Entertainment Consumers Association http://www.theeca.com/
kevinbondelli.com