Definitions: Net Neutrality

Definition

Net neutrality refers to the general belief that on the Internet, there should be no restrictions placed on content that is viewed by users or on the applications, equipment, or platforms they use to view it. The basic idea behind the principle is that telecommunications companies must treat all Internet traffic equally.

Various advocates have developed a variety of definitions of the term. In 2005, the Federal Communications Commission developed its own Broadband Policy Statement, which established four rules for continued open Internet usage and net neutrality. In this document, the FCC stated:

“To encourage broadband deployment and preserve and promote the open and interconnected nature of the public Internet, consumers are entitled to:

• Access the lawful Internet content of their choice.
• Run applications and use services of their choice, subject to the needs of law enforcement.
• Connect their choice of legal devices that do not harm the network.
• Competition among network providers, application and service providers, and content providers.”

Controversies/Concerns

Telecom companies and Internet providers have long been battling against net neutrality. These companies claim they need to charge more for higher levels of services to be able to afford to keep up with technology advancements and upgrades that will permit Internet traffic to continue running.

Such service providers have recently proposed tiered levels of service, based on how  much bandwidth a user consumes. The Internet service providers say that if net neutrality principles are followed, eventually they will have no choice but to raise rates or charge users per byte for their  Internet usage.

Some experts have proposed that a net neutrality taxshould be implemented to help carriers pay for the expensive upgrades and investments required to provide the level of Internet performance to which users have grown accustomed. Taxpayers, though, have not been keen on  the idea of paying more taxes, even if it does mean continued Internet  improvements.

Business Applications

So how does net neutrality affect business? If ISPs do manage to skirt net neutrality rules and raise their rates, most companies would be charged more for their Internet usage. Also, Internet-based companies might see less traffic if users are charged more just to visit their sites or use their online services.

For businesses, net neutrality has created a divided front. Carriers and service providers are now fighting against many online companies who fear losing money and users. Even the European Union and our own U.S.  congressmen have joined the battle.

Technical Difficulties

Because the Internet is considered to be a global entity, it is very difficult to impose regulations and rules upon it. The ongoing debate among Internet  providers and carriers and the supporters of net neutrality is considered to be a U.S.-centric issue. Even within the U.S., though, there are thousands of  Internet carriers, millions of companies who rely on the Internet for services and information, and over a billion users, which complicates the debate on many levels.

So even if ISPs wanted to restrict or prioritize certain Internet packets, most Internet traffic crosses many carrier networks. So traffic from a user of a “premium” service may have packets traversing a “non-premium” network from another carrier. Not to mention data would travel among cable, DSL, and wireless services.

Also, who decides which packets take higher priority? Does e-mail deserve a lower level than voice traffic? And would critical services or applications be given priority over spam messages?

Since the early 2000s, many proposals have been made in the U.S. Congress to regulate net neutrality issues. Most have been killed, but some are still in discussion. The debate rages on.

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