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Net Neutrality: How “Fast Lanes” Undermine the Democracy of the Internet

Screen Shot 2016 06 17 at 12.33.32 PM
Screen Shot 2016 06 17 at 12.33.32 PM

The phrase “net neutrality” has become a hot button topic because slower speeds and higher prices are of obvious concern to millions of people. The bigger threat from “fast lanes” however, is their attack on the fundamental principles of the Internet itself.

Cord-cutters and cable boxes

The rise of instant video streaming services, e.g. Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Instant Video, have completely disrupted how people consume media. These services are convenient for people who don’t want to spend a lot of money for a cable subscription that they only use to watch a few channels. If a show you like makes its episodes available via one of these video services, then there’s really no reason for you to pay more per month for something you wouldn’t utilize.

The problem is that Internet service providers, known as “ISPs,” are very often the same companies that provide cable service. For example, AT&T and Comcast provide Internet access for millions of Americans, but these companies also have the cable subscription services “U-verse” and “Xfinity,” respectively.

So what does net neutrality have anything to do with which ISP you choose?

In reaction to the rise of streaming services, the companies that provide internet and cable services have been taking steps to abolish net neutrality. So instead of just letting customers pay for Internet service and consume video from Netflix or Hulu as they please, ISPs are pushing for what are called “fast-lanes.”

Essentially, they want to charge consumers more per month to use certain services, including those that rival their cable subscriptions. What they don’t tell you is that these so called “fast lanes” are a part of a tiered-speed hierarchy which would discriminate against companies and people who won’t pay the ISPs more money.

Michael Weinberg, Vice President of the Washington D.C. based digital advocacy group “Public Knowledge” argues, “Services that consumers use without paying a special fee to Internet service providers (ISPs) will not work as well because they will be excluded from the ISP’s ‘fast lane.’ ”

Net neutrality versus “fast lanes”

Net neutrality is the opposing force to this idea. If net neutrality were abolished, the typical consumer would have two choices: pay more per month to access their programs and services at the speed that the ISP deem as part of its “fast lane” or refuse to pay more and have those same services at much slower speeds simply because they rival your ISP.

In theory, it would be like driving on a road that has a speed limit of 50 miles per hour and then being told, “You can pay us to continue going at 55 miles per hour or you can refuse to pay and only go 35 miles per hour.” While ISPs may make certain websites, services or applications operate slightly faster, they’re simultaneously slowing down certain internet services for people who won’t pay them extra money.

The FCC, or Federal Communications Commission, is one of the central champions behind internet freedom. Their rules about an open internet atmosphere have allowed the internet to continue being what it is today.

The problem is that companies in the broadband industry have taken the FCC to federal court multiple times in attempts to abolish net neutrality. We have been lucky enough that net neutrality has yet to be abolished which allows us to use the Internet as we were promised. The FCC urges people to familiarize themselves with net neutrality so that the broadband industry doesn’t take advantage of us as consumers.

Our take

Whether or not the extra money that companies like Netflix or consumers pay actually makes services faster goes directly against what the Internet strives to be. Instead of acting as a collective cartel by discriminating against people and companies who won’t pay them more, ISPs should compete in an attempt to attract consumers, the real driver of healthy market competition.

The Internet is one of the most important vessels for freedom of speech and technological innovation. Price gouging on behalf of the ISPs would effectively undermine the democratized spirit of intellectual freedom that makes the Internet an unbiased, unfiltered platform accessible to everyone.

2 Comments

2 Comments

  1. Kevin G

    November 5, 2015 at 9:24 pm

    Go Noles!

    Great piece on this muddy topic. Net neutrality has been thrown around and it can be hard to understand with all the cartel business. This is exactly what many opponents were talking about as this was being discussed at the beginning of the year. Boom.

  2. Marty Huggins

    November 5, 2015 at 10:11 pm

    GO GATORS!!!!!!!

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