Verizon’s net neutrality challenge will determine the fate of the Internet
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Verizon’s net neutrality challenge will determine the fate of the Internet

The most recent development in the tech world is Verizon’s current challenge to the FCC’s net neutrality regulations. If the court strikes down the FCC’s authority to impose common carrier restrictions on Internet service providers, it would mean a complete rethink of how we view the Internet today.

Whether we like it or not, the Internet is a phenomenon that represents one of the greatest achievements of humanity in our time. Perhaps the most important victory is its democratization. A small website can compete equally well with a larger one simply by offering better service. While it is true that large organizations can buy faster servers and bandwidth, the accessibility that the Internet offers for everyone is amazing. Customers who pay for high-bandwidth connectivity get equal access to all content providers anywhere in the world. Such a model deserves to be protected.

However, Verizon believes that it has the right to discriminate and decide which websites people can and cannot view. According to them, their “free speech” rights are being violated by FCC rules that prohibit any type of interference. Which is somewhat akin to an electric company complaining that they have no right to decide which appliances can run on electricity provided by them!

It is not that the telecommunications companies have covered themselves with glory in this regard. They have tried unsuccessfully to block services that compete with their other offerings. VoIP is a prime example of an “Over the Top” or OTT service that telcos have repeatedly tried to stifle. In my opinion, if Verizon wants to discriminate between various types of Internet traffic, it should be divided into two companies, one dedicated to telephone services and the other to providing Internet services.

One argument that internet bandwidth providers or “dumb tubes” make is that content providers are using the networks for free, where the truth is that they already pay for bandwidth and access to customers. Nobody is getting anything for free. Verizon, AT&T and other telcos just want to do a double dip. They somehow feel cheated by the tremendous success of the Internet and want to get more of the action without doing any extra work or providing additional services.

It is a pivotal moment for net neutrality in the United States. Countries like the Netherlands have already instituted it as law. It is time for the US to lead the way and catch up with best practices around the world by recognizing that the Internet is something special that must be protected from those who seek to change its very nature.

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