I figured this would be an interesting topic to bring up.
So, to start with, I'll try to explain net neutrality (as I understand it). Net neutrality is the system put in place by various laws where the Internet is free for everyone (beyond initial access charges), and ISPs must remain neutral to which sites we access. We can access which sites we want, however much we want - they aren't allowed to make some sites any slower than others, or deny access. (Although, certain providers such as Comcast and others do illegally tweak how fast our download speeds are for sites like Netflix, but that's not the issue in question at the moment.)
Mid-December, the US congress is voting to kill net neutrality, thanks to the FCC's Ajit Pai. As I understand it, if this happens, ISPs will have full control over what you view online. They'll be able to charge more or less for different things, block them entirely, make Americans have to pay extra to access sites like Netflix/Youtube/etc, or simply give them slower internet on (only) those sites unless you purchase an "upgraded Internet plan". They'll also be able to charge companies extra in order to have high-speed internet, or limit how much data a company or site can upload a month (again, unless they pay more money). In doing this, they'll be able to completely shut down sites and companies they don't like. I imagine most cable companies will shut down things like Netflix and Hulu fairly quickly, as they are major competitors.
Ajit Pai is, despite being Chairman of the FCC, in the pocket of most large cable companies, including Comcast, AT&T, Time Warner, and (especially) Verizon. This is not a change that's intended to have a positive effect on the citizens of the US, or the world at large. It's just there to make money - and the scary thing is, the majority of congressmen seem to be on board with it (as well as forcing states to comply with the federal laws and not come up with their own regarding net neutrality). The internet as we know it will come to an end, and will essentially be replaced with "Cable for Computers". The FCC is completely ignoring any and all complaints or comments from consumers.
Disclaimer: I'm just repeating what I've read in various articles, so what I've listed above may not be 100% accurate. I'm curious to see what people think of it, if they know more about it than I do.
Post
Wed Nov 22, 2017 1:54 pm
#1
Net Neutrality
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