Net Neutrality

Tim Dempsey

“Net neutrality” is the core concept of a current internet controversy.

But before we understand what net neutrality is, we need to understand what the internet is.

In order to fill a glass of water from your sink, you need two things…

A system of pipes to get the water to you house

Water

The internet providers are like the pipes. They create the infrastructure that carries the content to your computer.

They are companies like AT&T, Verizon, Comcast, and Time Warner.

Right now, web content could have to travel across the world, and on average, jumps through 18 routers to get to your computer. This takes time.

The web content providers are the companies that provide the water that flows through these pipes. Their survival depends on being able to use these pipes to get to your computer.

They are companies like Google, Apple, Cisco, and Microsoft.

The amount of content (water) is growing faster than the infrastructure (pipes), so the pipes jam up, and the internet slows down.

As the internet slows down, some web content companies (water) feel like they should be able to pay the providers (pipes) for faster service, so their water will flow through the pipes first.

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This means a company like Google would be able to pay a provider like Verizon for priority service. Their content would make it to your computer faster.

It would also mean that companies that couldn’t pay for the priority service would be slower.

Net Neutrality is the principle that providers should not be able to favor some web content over other content by providing it faster. In other words, it is the belief that all online content should be treated indiscriminately.

The net neutrality controversy was sparked in 2008 when Comcast was favoring some content over other content. The Federal Communications Commission went after Comcast for violating Net Neutrality principles.

Although Net Neutrality was common practice for the “pipes,” at the time it was purely voluntary. Comcast sued the FCC.

Two years later, a Federal Appeals Court ruled that the FCC had no grounds for reprimanding Comcast, and the FCC had no authority to enforce net neutrality based on the 1996 Telecommunications Act.

There have been several failed bills to give the FCC the jurisdiction to enforce net neutrality. None have passed thus far, and congress is expected to address the issue soon.

Some other controversial “solutions” to the net neutrality debate…

In 2010, Google struck an agreement with Verizon, where Google pays Verizon for holding and powering its data centers in the same locations as the Verizon servers around the country. This would mean Google web content has a shorter distance to travel, which would make it faster.

Google and Verizon claim that this doesn’t violate net neutrality because Verizon isn’t giving priority service to Google. It is just making it so the web content has a shorter distance to travel. Google’s faster service does not make other web content slower.

Others claim that this agreement violates the spirit of net neutrality, and Google has failed in its core principle… “Don’t Be Evil.”

Another “solution” would be to provide tiered internet service, where some customers would pay a higher monthly fee for faster service.

Advocates of this argue that it makes business sense.

Opponents argue that it is discriminatory and would limit internet access to poor communities.

The final solution will be determined by legislation that clarifies the FCC’s role in regulating the internet and enforcing net neutrality.

Sources

Bollman, Melissa. “Net Neutrality, Google, and Internet Ethics.” The Humanist Nov.-Dec. 2010: 6+. Academic OneFile. Web. 23 Nov. 2010

Cox, Rob, and Robert Cyran. “Variable Pricing and Net Neutrality.” New York Times 16 Aug. 2010:B2(L). The New York Times. Web. 23 Nov. 2010.

Cringely, Robert X. “A Net Game For Google?” New York Times 8 Aug. 2010: 10(L). The New York Times. Web. 23 Nov. 2010

Miller, Claire Cain, and Miguel Helft. “Google Plan Disillusions Some Allies.” New York Times 16 Aug. 2010: B1(L). The New York Times. Web.23 Nov. 2010.

Mulligan, Edward B.,V. “Derailed By the D.C. Circuit: getting network management regulation back on track.” Federal Communications Law Journal 62.3(2010):633+. Academic OneFile. Web. 23 Nov. 2010

Nocera, Joe. “The Struggle For What We Already Have.” New York Times 4 Sept. 2010:B1(L). The New York Times. Web.23 Nov. 2010.

Stehle, Vincent. “Why Nonprofits Should Care About Net Neutrality.” Chronicle of Philanthropy 3 Oct. 2010. Academic OneFile. Web. 23 Nov. 2010