2. What Is Net Neutrality
The concept of an “Open” Internet
Equal representation for all content providers (Internet)
Transferring Information without bias
It has abasically been this way since the inception of the internet
3. Why is it important
In 2015 – The FCC adopted the Net Neutrality rule that keeps
the internet free and open when pressured by millions
The Trump administration and newly appointed FCC Chairman
Ajit Pai set to destroy Net Neutrality.
4. Why is this a problem ?
87% of the country utilizes internet
ISPs want to charge content providers
ISPs struggle to sustain network infrastructure
5. This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
6. Origin of Net Neutrality
The term was coined by law professor Tim Wu in 2003
Used to describe the role of telephone systems.
Net neutrality regulations is referred to as "common carrier" regulations.
7. This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
8. Conflict of Net Neutrality
Net Neutrality has been violated on several occasions
Verizon sued FCC and won in 2013
Comcast sued from restricting the access of bittorrent
10. A World Without Net Neutrality
The internet would cease to be the internet
Websites, Internet content and applications under control
Increased cost for certain network traffic
11.
12. Free Oil?
Bits for Bucks
The Internet has been
free since conception
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY
13.
14. How will it
impact the
future?
Cost
Constraints
&
Cookies
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC
18. References
Tim Wu (2003). "Network Neutrality, Broadband Discrimination" (PDF). Journal
on Telecom and High Tech Law. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 April
2014. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
"Netflix Pays Verizon in Streaming Deal, Following Comcast Pact". time.com.
14 April 2014. Archived from the original on 2 May 2017. Retrieved 23 February
2019.
"Comcast No Longer Choking File Sharers' Connections, Study Says". WIRED.
Archived from the original on 22 February 2019.
"BitTorrent Throttling Internet Providers Exposed". TorrentFreak. Archived
from the original on 23 February 2019.
Editor's Notes
The term net neutrality is new.
But the idea behind it has existed since the invention of the telegram and has also been
applied to other telecommunication technologies, like telephones. Telegrams and telephones have been considered what is called common carriers under U.S.
law.
This simply means that the companies that own your telephone line have been forbidden to give any preferential treatment to clients or their partners.
Without this law, it could mean that if Comcast; partners up with Samsung they might give a discounted
rate to people who buy a Galaxy while they raise the rate to anyone who buys let’s
say an iPhone.
The purpose of the FCC is to make sure phone companies offer fair pricing and access.
But what does this have to do with the internet?
Net neutrality is basically the idea that the internet should have the same law applied
to it.
And in 2015 the FCC gave us that protection when it placed the internet under the common
carrier law.
The most recent advocate to end net neutrality is the current newly appointed FCC chairman
by way of Donald Trump, Ajit Varadaraj Pai.
This means that internet service providers, like Comcast and AT&T; must treat everything
on the internet the same.
Comcast will not be allowed to block their
users from competing search engines like Yahoo or Bing.
Or if a Comcast customer uses an application on their computer like Bitorrent, which allows
you to download files directly off of another person’s computer (which ends up being mostly
porn, music and Game of Thrones), Comcast can’t block that application from internet
access.
And you might say that’s crazy to even think about – your internet providers blocking
you from certain websites or applications – I mean we aren’t in elementary school
anymore – and it isn’t the job of our internet service providers to regulate what
we do on the internet – the job we pay them to do is simply provide us with open internet
access.
But that doesn’t stop them from doing it anyways.
In fact a few years ago Comcast was secretly blocking Bitorrent on people’s computers
from accessing the internet and didn’t stop until the FCC intervened.
Another internet giant, AT&T;, was restricting their customer’s access to FaceTime.
Origin Story Time!
Net neutrality does not block all abilities that Internet service providers have to impact their customers' services.
Comcast will not be allowed to block their
users from competing search engines like Yahoo or Bing.
Or if a Comcast customer uses an application on their computer like Bitorrent, which allows
you to download files directly off of another person’s computer (which ends up being mostly
porn, music and Game of Thrones), Comcast can’t block that application from internet
access.
And you might say that’s crazy to even think about – your internet providers blocking
you from certain websites or applications – I mean we aren’t in elementary school
anymore – and it isn’t the job of our internet service providers to regulate what
we do on the internet – the job we pay them to do is simply provide us with open internet
access.
But that doesn’t stop them from doing it anyways.
In fact a few years ago Comcast was secretly blocking Bitorrent on people’s computers
from accessing the internet and didn’t stop until the FCC intervened.
Another internet giant, AT&T;, was restricting their customer’s access to FaceTime.
Why?
To get their customers to purchase bigger data plans.
And this is just the tip of the iceberg.
One even compares net neutrality to vanilla ice cream.
Jeffrey Dorfam, some econ professor, says that net neutrality is like if a store only
has vanilla ice cream for sale.
He says it limits people’s choices because many want and would pay for another flavor.
However, this is exactly what net neutrality is trying to prevent.
Giving the power to internet service providers to offer us only vanilla ice cream.
We want chocolate, caramel and even green tea from time to time and we don’t want
to pay for multiple internet service providers to get such a variety.
We want freedom of choice and a plethora of different flavors that come from one source.
Sure more internet service providers means more competition which might mean lower fees
to purchase internet access.
And that’s not a bad thing.
But what most are scared of, is that our internet service providers choosing what types of applications
or websites we can connect to.
And again we don’t just want to connect to a vanilla flavored website.