There is a bunch of talk right now about the Net Neutrality Act. I decided it was time for me to explain it from a tech stand point.
First off here is a short synopsis of what this is:
“Net neutrality” is a concept that is still unfamiliar to most Americans, but it keeps the Internet democratic. Cable and telephone companies that provide Internet service are talking about creating a two-tiered Internet, in which Web sites that pay them large fees would get priority over everything else. Opponents of these plans are supporting Net-neutrality legislation, which would require all Web sites to be treated equally. Net neutrality recently suffered a setback in the House, but there is growing hope that the Senate will take up the cause.
One of the Internet’s great strengths is that a single blogger or a small political group can inexpensively create a Web page that is just as accessible to the world as Microsoft’s home page. But this democratic Internet would be in danger if the companies that deliver Internet service changed the rules so that Web sites that pay them money would be easily accessible, while little-guy sites would be harder to access, and slower to navigate. Providers could also block access to sites they do not like.
The cables that make up the internet are like hoses. Through those hoses a certain amount of information can pass at any given time. Think of it as filling a swimming pool. Right now you are given a large hose to fill it, so you will be splashing around before you know it. Now someone comes up to you and says you must use a smaller hose or pay more to use that larger hose. You are not using any more water, but you are now waiting longer for that well deserved splash.
This is essentially what the telecommunication giants are wanting to do to the internet, they want to web site owners to pay more for that larger hose. You will still get the same amount of information but how long you sit there and wait on it is another story.
Now how does this work in politics online? Well the bloggers with no big time backers (like this one) will be forced to go with that smaller hose or fill their sites with ads to generate the money needed for the bigger hose. This price will not go directly to the site owner but rather their hosting company. That hosting company will then have to pass that added expense onto the end user, which is the site owner.
New technologies are constantly being developed to offer higher speeds on the internet. A little over a year ago, scientists at CalTech successfully transferred 859 gigabytes of data in under 17 minutes from California to Switzerland. That is a speed of 6.63 gigabytes per second. If you have ever downloaded a song from the internet, those average aroundy 5 megabytes. That means in 1 second you could download over 1,300 songs. In other words – it is lightning fast speed. This means that overloads on the internet are becoming less likely but they must upgrade the current systems.
Now the telecommunication giants are blaming sites like Google. Their claim is that Google makes billions in profits and do so using these companies lines. They are now jealous and want the companies like Google to pay more for the lines.
Of course a better solution would be to take the internet and make it a public utility. Have strict federal regulations put on it then they could use a sliding tax system on it. Much like the highways, where truckers pay higher roadway taxes than car owners, the same system could be applied to internet giants.
The current plan will destroy the internet as we know it and make it a bigger haven for corporate giants and limit the views of individuals or anyone who wants to put a simple site online. It will also reduce the number of free web services out there as they will not be able to keep up with data transfer demands without charging.
Now something else to consider here. Many people pay for high speed internet. The cost difference between services like DSL and dial-up is of significance. Now you are paying for this higher speed internet but you will not be able to use it as you intended because the telecom giants have figured another way out to line their pockets. This is a slap in the face to the consumer and another reason that this should not be allowed. This is also why net neutrality must be stopped – it effects every single one of us.
For more information check out Alternet, Crooks and Liars, AmericaBLOG, DailyKOS and Firedoglake.