- Columbia Public Schools
- More than Me
Net Neutrality
Net neutrality is a bigger problem than most people realize. It’s the idea that large cable companies should not be able to control the internet by favoring certain websites and throttling internet speeds. As the internet continues to gain a more significant role in our society, larger internet providers gain more control and power. If net neutrality didn’t have any support, internet providers could throttle down internet speeds to a certain port. What this means is that, for anyone using their internet service, those consumers experience dramatically reduced internet connections to certain websites, applications, and servers. An example is the Comcast-Netflix interaction, which occurred before the FCC title II vote. (CNET). The company Unidan Comcast throttled down their speeds to Netflix’s ports, so customers using Comcast couldn’t access Netflix. This results in Netflix losing their customers and money, as each of their customers that uses Comcast would not be able to connect, and therefore they would discontinue their subscription for the service. At this point Netflix has no choice but to pay Comcast to throttle their internet speeds to be faster towards Netflix’s ports. This was only one example, and internet providers can throttle down their speeds to any port, including large organizations other than Netflix. With the internet being more important in today’s world, these internet providers can grow larger, thus increasing the amount of power they have over other producers (CNET). This is also not the only problem. Most internet providers will not guarantee you the internet speed that you pay for. This is because it is cheaper for the company to provide slower internet (Forbes). This means that consumers are paying for faster internet speeds than they are actually receiving.
With the FFC passing Title II for net neutrality on Feb. 26th (FCC), cable companies like Verizon and Comcast are supposed to relieve their control of internet speeds. However, they continue to try to control the internet fast and slow lanes, sometimes breaking the rules that the FCC voted on. This is a problem because many of the members of Congress are paid by cable companies to vote against net neutrality (Battle for the Net) (FCC). I think addressing Net Neutrality would be a great project for me, as I am interested in the future of the internet. It shapes our modern communities because it connects everyone together. If large companies can control the internet, they can prevent us from accessing the content we want to see, and instead show us propaganda that will influence our decisions.
When actually tackling the problem, the best way in my opinion would be to raise public awareness. Increasing public awareness of the problem would lead to many people telling the FCC their opinions, which could affect future votes on the same topic or strengthen control over net neutrality. Other people could contact the FCC and their state’s Congress members to tell them their opinions. With this public support, it would further strengthen the rules that the FCC put in place. Additionally, any future votes that could occur would be affected by public opinions (Washington Post).
Works Cited
"Comcast vs. Netflix: Is This Really about Net Neutrality? - CNET." CNET. Web. 2 Apr. 2015. <http://www.cnet.com/news/comcast-vs-netflix-is-this-really-about-net-neutrality/>.
"In Days, the Most Important FCC Decision of Our Lifetime Happens -- save Net Neutrality or Lose It Forever..." Battle For The Net. Web. 2 Apr. 2015. <https://www.battleforthenet.com/>.
"Smaller Cable Companies Hint They’ll Sue the FCC on Net Neutrality, Too." Washington Post. The Washington Post. Web. 2 Apr. 2015. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2015/02/17/smaller-cable-companies-hint-theyll-sue-the-fcc-on-net-neutrality-too/>.
"Chrmn Wheeler: FCC Open Internet Order - Separating Fact From Fiction." Chrmn Wheeler: FCC Open Internet Order. Web. 2 Apr. 2015. <http://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-open-internet-order-separating-fact-fiction>.