Net Neutrality is a very important topic in today\'s society. We have become so
ID: 3594768 • Letter: N
Question
Net Neutrality is a very important topic in today's society. We have become so reliant on the Internet that we take it's ease of access, speed, and transparency for granted. The Internet has grown on the basis of being completely "open." This means that users can come and go as they please and access any resources throughout the world from any Internet-connected device in the same way as everyone else. However, as with most popular trends, individuals and companies quickly see an opportunity for profit. Imagine that you had to pay a "premium" to access sites such as Netflix and Hulu because they are more bandwidth intensive. Today, you visit Netflix and watch a movie just as easily as someone sends an email even though each action has starkly different technical requirements. If we get down to it, streaming a 2 hour video is far more "costly" than sending a 5000 word email. Internet providers are lobbying to be able to charge and control the traffic on their network rather than just being a transparent provider. In 2015, the FCC ruled that broadband Interiet is considered a "telecommunications service." Meaning that it must be treated similar to public utilities like electricity or telephone lines. Large communications companies such as Verizon, Comcast, TW, etc, continue to fight this ruling and have it overturned. The new administration has stated that they do not believe net neutrality laws are necessary. This can be extremely detrimental to the survival of an truly open Internet 1. Visit the following links (read all articles and attached videos): https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2015/02/huge-win-open-internet-fcc-officially-embraces- https://www.youtube.com/watch?2psy3euy78 ntp://www. ep om/article/2017/03/spopinion-why-ending-net-neutrality-would · https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/05/technology/trumps-fcc-quickly-targets-net- Research and discuss what net neutrality is. Explain it in such a way that someone without technical background can understand. Why do companies want to have the ruling overturned? What companies are teaming up to fight the ruling? 2. Discuss whet not you are for or against Net Neutrality. SExplanation / Answer
1.Net neutrality can be defined as a principle that all kind of data on the internet should be treated as equal by internet service providers and government who regulate the internet and no type of extra charges or discrimination should be practiced on the basis of users, content, platform or the mode of communication being used.
Internet has become an "inevitable" part of common man's life around the globe. When a common man acceses the internet, he expects that he should be able to connect to all the websites/applications and data he chooses, without any sort of restrictions . He also expects that there shouldn't be any problems related to speeding up, slowing down or blocking of content on the websites he chooses. Basically, the user should have control over his internet.
So net neutrality can be further defined as a principle that prohibits internet service providers and government from speeding up or slowing down , blocking or unblocking any sort of content on the internet, be it website or any application. It protects a common man's right to freely access anything over internet.
Large communication companies like Verizon, AT&T, Comcast & TW are teaming up to fight the ruling laid by FCC. The companies are opposing the ruling made by the FCC because if net neutrality comes into practice, any sort of practice like blocking of undesirable content, charging extra fees based on content, speeding up or speeding down the internet will not be possible for internet service providers. Companies will neither be able to decide what a common man should have access to over the internet , nor they will be able to block content/applications which they don’t prefer or something which is offered by their competitors.
2. I support for Net neutrality. We should have full control over what we should have access to or what we should comunicate online.
People would have their own reasoning to support or be against net neutrality. For example, some people will have the opinion that blocking online content is necessary to an extent when the end user is a minor as it will prevent illegal content or undesirable content being accessed by the minor.
Iam of the opinion that if a minor can access the internet, he/she should also know what content he/she is supposed to access.
So if you have the liberty to have full control over the internet, you should also know what you should/should not access over the internet.