Case Study 16

The battle over net neutrality

Q1: What is net neutrality? Why has the Internet operated under net neutrality up to this point in time?

Net neutrality also called network neutrality, Internet neutrality, or net equality is the principle that Internet service providers and governments should treat all data on the Internet equally, not discriminating or charging deferentially by user, content, site, platform, application, type of attached equipment, or mode communication. In short, network neutrality is the idea that Internet service providers must allow customers equal access to content and applications regardless of the source or nature of the content.

The internet nowadays is indeed neutral; all Internet traffic is treated equally on a first-come, first-served basis by Internet back-bone owners. The Internet is neutral because it was built on phone lines, which are subject to 'common carriage' laws. These laws require phone companies to treat all calls and customer equally. Phone companies cannot offer extra benefits to customers willing to pay higher premiums for faster or clearer calls, a model knows as tiered service.

Q2: Who’s in favor of net neutrality? Who’s opposed? Why?

Organization like MoveOn.org, the Christian Coalition, the American Library Association, every major consumer group, many bloggers and small businesses, and some large Internet Companies like Google and Amazon are the companies in favor of network neutrality. Some members of the U.S. Congress also support network neutrality. Vint Cerf, a co-inventor of the Internet Protocol also favors network neutrality saying that variable access to content would detract from the Intenet's continued ability to thrive. This group argues that the risk of censorship increases when network operators can selectively block or slow access to certain content.

Those who oppose network neutrality include telecommunications and cable companies who want to be able to charge differentiated prices based on the amount of bandwidth consumed by content being delivered over the Internet and so they could earn more money on the services provided.

Comcast reported that illegal file sharing of copyrighted material was consuming 50 percent of its network capacity. The company posits that if network transmission rates were slower for this type of content, users would be less likely to download or access it.

Bob Kahn, another co-inventor of the Internet Protocol opposed network neutrality saying that it removes the incentive for network providers to innovate, provide new capabilities, and upgrade to new technology.

Q3: What would be the impact on individual users, businesses, and government if Internet providers switched to a tiered service model for transmission over land lines as well as wireless?

Companies who own the internet networks argued that the laws and regulations that enforce net neutrality is having a negative impact on the competitiveness of the US economy as it limits the innovation that can be guaranteed by discriminatory network practices. These companies are the ones who most beneficial of the non-neutrality of net. These companies can increase their profits by increasing costs for high bandwidth network users and they argued that this extra profit is to innovate and make advancements in the telecommunication sector.

For those who advocate net neutrality argued that it is this neutrality that has allowed an equal opportunity to everyone to innovate. Increased prices of internet due to non-equility will limit the innovation capacity of those who benefit from its equality/ Small businesses also believe that they will not be able to compete with the big companies if the net neautrality is replaces with tiered service model.

Q4: It has been said that net neutrality is the most important issue facing the Internet since the advent of the Internet. Discuss the implications of this statement.

There is no one owns the Internet. However, someone has to pay to access to the Internet and make available to all of the content and services that are on the Internet. Individual Internet users pay Internet service providers for using their service and they generally pay a flat subscription fee, no matter how much or how little they use the Internet. So one side of the debate focuses on ensuring the Internet infrastructure continues to grow and improve while the other side of the debate focuses on how to pay for that. Some argue that removing net neutrality will cause censorship while others argue that all content will remain available but at a varying price.

Q5: Are you in favor of legislation enforcing network neutrality? Why or why not?

Personally, I agreed with the legislation enforcing network neutrality. I say it from a perspective of an ordinary internet user. Imagine if the neutrality gone, big companies will be in control of the bandwidth prices and allocation. Therefore, only rich and big companies will be able to buy huge bandwidths. Ordinary users like us will be left with no option but to use slow internet services. It will definitely limit the access to information and the impact to the internet users is very big.

With tiered internet model, the high bidders will get their hands on fast internet and the small business will be left behind due to limited financial resources. New entrepreneurs will have even little chance to fight with them on this.