Joshua Coon
Christian. Student. Photographer.
4/8/2017 0 Comments [10] Negating Net NeutralityNet neutrality should be important to all of us, but what is it and why? Net Neutrality is “the principle that individuals should be free to access all content and applications equally, regardless of the source, without Internet service providers discriminating against specific online services or websites.” [1] It is essentially legislative or legal action that prevents Internet Service Providers (ISPs), like Comcast and AT&T, from throttling internet connections based on how they are being used. For instance, without net neutrality, ISPs would be able to slow down and even charge online services like Netflix for their use of bandwidth by the ISPs customers. It’s somewhat of a catch-22. Customers pay an ISP to have fast internet service to things on the internet, but depending on what they’re accessing, will be penalized for it. Internet Service Providers argue that it would allow for them to provide faster speeds for internet and a better experience to customers who aren’t bandwidth heavy, like regular web browsing and not video streaming. In the most recent net neutrality development, Federal Communications Commission Chairman, Ajit Pai, is motioning to transition net neutrality from being under the FCC’s supervision and guidance, to being under the Federal Trade Commission’s oversight. The controversy here is sourced in how either Commission handles governing. You see, the FCC has the authority to write the rules. It can write rules that determine how the ISPs do business, while the FTC only has the authority and ability to open lawsuits against unruly corporations. If this transition comes to pass, the only thing stopping ISPs from trashing net neutrality is their individual terms of services. With a common good approach to this issue, in this situation, the right thing to do is clear. The FCC should not surrender its authority, since it has the potential to do the most good. Due to its resources and legal authority, the FTC is unable to properly regulate such a significant issue, such as net neutrality. It is still unclear how this transition of power would occur. In hopes that the internet will only become a more free place for expression and business, the tech community eagerly awaits the decisions of the powers that be.
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