Net Neutrality 101:
The government and ISP’s are negotiating how content (namely streaming services [Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, etc.) and high volume file distribution [Gigabytes of files]) are accessed over the internet. Directly or indirectly, the increase in streaming services and cloud applications are clouding up the current network infrastructure in the US. The US while ahead of some, is well behind other countries in regards to the level of quality and speed of the internet, something we should be a leader in.
My View:
I don’t have strong opinions on most “political” things, but being a techie, this is something that strikes a chord with me. It’s something that can completely change the future, more so than many things of the past that were expected to change today. Our world relies on technology and its grip is only getting a stronger each year.
There are some issues with the articles referenced below. It is likely that an underlying development for building a case in cooperating with ISP’s is upon us. It’s likely that FCC will classify broadband as a higher-speed, more expensive service that favors big businesses, and then introduce a “consumer” classification, or something close to it. It’s time for ISP’s/businesses to be honest.
I’m not saying it’s an easy job to moderate the internet, but it needs a lot of work and you should be concerned. Examples: How about online education? Online classes consist of numerous amounts of video for presentations and lectures. Tuition will go up. How about the medical field? Doctors rely on video captured for analyses of health concerns. Healthcare costs will go up. All of you enjoying your smartphones. Data caps will be limited. These are a small factor of the numerous scenarios in which streaming video and file distribution are indirectly a necessity of life.
What does this all even mean? In simplest terms, it means that those with the fattest wallets will be the ones deciding the experiences of everyone else connecting to the internet. There likely isn’t a single source that you rely on for information you receive over the internet. If you’ve got two favorite sources of which you obtain your information and all of the sudden, those two don’t get along, then whoever spends the most money will have the opposite suffering. Things will change if net neutrality is repealed, and don’t expect those changes will be something we consumers favor.
What can you do? Google a bit about it and build your own perspective. Think about what your telecommunications provider offers you and the service you’ve been provided by them. Find out what others are offering around the US and other countries and build your theory. Take that and add a comment @ https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/search/proceedings?q=name:((17-108)) (Click + Express on the right of the “Restoring Internet Freedom” proceeding) and express your opinion to the politicians voting on this issue.
References:
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-rosenworcel-fcc-net-neutrality-repeal-20171122-story.html
http://news.yahoo.com/fcc-asks-whether-broadband-mean-faster-internet-speeds-175352989–finance.html
http://www.clickz.com/clickz/column/2358039/learning-lessons-net-neutrality-and-the-future-of-online-education