Blog 11

What is "net neutrality"? What does the FCC and Comcast have to do with it? Take a side and defend your position. Make is interesting for me.


Net Neutrality is where the internet is the same for everyone no matter the size of the issue. It would mean that I, as a fictitious, would have the same internet access as a huge company. My little company would be in the search engine, right up there with Amazon. The ISPs cannot squeeze me out because Amazon might pay the ISP to do so. I'm not saying Amazon wants this, quite the contrary, Amazon supports the net Neutrality".

The FCC, in 2005, had put down four principals to promote and preserve the public internet. The four are "1) access the lawful Internet content of their choice. 2) Run applications and use services of their choice, subject to the needs of law enforcement. 3)
Connect their choice of legal devices that do not harm the network. 4) Competition among network providers, application and service providers, and content providers." (this portion was copied from Wiki)

In 2008, the FCC auctioned off the 700MHz block of wireless spectrum, Google said they would fork over $4.6M if the FCC required that this spectrum would have 4 more conditions. 1) There would be open applications that any consumer can get. 2) There would be open devices that you can pick what ever network you want. 3) ISPs can interconnect with 700MHz license wireless network and 4) (I copied this work for word from Wiki as I didn't know who to add in my own works) Open services: Third parties (resellers) should be able to acquire wireless services from a 700 MHz licensee on a wholesale basis, based on reasonably nondiscriminatory commercial terms.

Then, 2009, the FCC added two more rules stating the ISPs can't discriminate against content or applications and they have to disclose all their policies to customers.

Comcast, illegally stopped users on high-speed Internet service from using file-sharing software. The FCC stepped in and voted 3-2 to uphold the complaint. Comcast would admit they were wrong, but had a settlement in Dec, 2009.

Although I would love to take a side, I think there should be tiers to a certain extent. I feel that Military, for the safety of the Nation, should have the fastest and take priority. But this does not mean every congress person gets the fastest the the most priority over me. This is only for MAJOR security reasons, like 9-11. I think there should be If Cisco want's to fork over millions of dollars for a higher tier that is way beyond what I would need, then go ahead. It will pay for a better internet for all of us. As long as it does not tell me what I can and can not access, I'm OK with that.