WHAT IS THE NET NEUTRALITY DEBATE?

WHAT ARGUMENTS DO BOTH SIDES PUT

FORWARD FOR THE ABOLITION OR
CONTINUATION OF NET NEUTRALITY?
WILL USA ROLLING BACK NET NEUTRALITY
IMPACT OTHER COUNTRIES

DANYA SHAHID MEMON-MOA 1857105

Net neutrality can be defined as the principle that internet service providers will treat all type of
data on the internet equally and not discriminate or charge extra or less y user, content, website,
application etc. under these principles internet service providers are unable to intentionally block
or slow down or charge more money. These regulations can also be known as common carrier
regulations. Though still internet service provider have a little power to filter the data or sites on
a local basis, filtration of sensitive material for minors. Net neutrality exist to protect misuse. Net
neutrality rules have been proposed by ajit pai chair pf federal communications commission.
According to history newly formed business who provided computer services to over the network
of business like timeshare, national css, and CompuServe and dial data. Theses business ran over
the top of AT&T nationwide network. The FCC realized that these business have great potential
in these “over the top” services and its importance known as “confluence of computer and
communication technologies taking place.” In 1976 commission stated that companies might
favor their own data processing activities by discriminatory services, cross –subsidization,
improper price of common carrier services.by 1970 first rules were set by the commission which
were meant to protect over the top services from discrimination and unfair treatment by at&t... the
major goal of these rules was to protect the stuff on the network from the network carrying traffic.
These are known as the ancestors of today’s net neutrality rules. A group of network engineers
designed and end to end design principle which meant that “end” as users of the network will be
deciding what the network was for, rather the network operator. Like FCC rules said above it’s a
principle of nondiscrimination. The owner of the network have no power to choose what the
network be used for.

The current net neutrality debate took shape in the early broadband era, in the beginning of 2000.
By the 1990s people used to reach internet by dial-up services like AOL and CompuServe and
other small independent internet service providers. All these companies relied on the underlying
telephone network. In the 1990s phone and cable companies started to organize broadband
networks by using high speed DSL and cable technologies. The sellers of the broad band wanted
to users to ditch dial and pay more and switch to broadband. Numerous purchasers were at that
point comfortable with getting the "entire" web from an ISP, not only a couple of sites approved
by the carrier. Whereas AOL backfired by suggesting that consumers wanted the open internet.
At the same time broad band providers had the incentives and means to control or threaten
applications and sites for more money. And secondly the phone and cable providers wanted to
have their control over access to extract more money from new sites or new customers known as
termination fee. In the meantime at&t ceo ed Whitacre realized in 2005 that internet provider
firms are using underground pipes for free to provide internet to their users and the capital was
invested by him not them and he is not getting anything in return because cable companies
invested on these pipes and it would be nuts to allow google or yahoo to use these pipes for free.
In that sense internet cannot be free. In reality, by the mid-2000s there were signs that the cable
and telephone organizations proposed to utilize their control of the physical architecture in
prohibitive ways. A portion of the broadband carriers started to hinder a tool known as a "virtual
private system," or VPN, most generally utilized by individuals to sign into work PCs from home.
Comcast was among the organizations that blocked VPNs, and made its intentions unmistakable
in 2001. They offered home pro at cost of $95 per month worked as vpn. Users were not allowed
to have Wi-Fi setting or internet connection for more than one pc at home or office. “Customer
acknowledges that any unauthorized receipt of the Service constitutes theft of service, which is a
violation of federal law and can result in both civil and criminal penalties”.

As the time passed new application came and they allowed users to make free phone calls with
the help of internet if not free then a small amount of regular call charges. These applications were
skype and Vonage. They competed directly with the phone and cable companies and loss of
potential revenue.

On Feb 8, 2004 FCC chair Michael Powell gave a speech on 4 internet freedoms. Talking about
the rise of destructions on broad band usage, he said that users of internet should have freedom to
access content, free to use applications, free to attach personal devices and freedom to obtain
service plan information. All rights were given to users by Powell. Powell also fined a dsl provider
company named as Madison riven who blocked Vonage a popular voice-over-IP program. These
actions transformed the basic net neutrality rules into a legally binding rule. The George w, bush
and Obama continued to enforce Powell’s basic net neutrality rules (guidelines) under chair Kevin
martin and Julius genachowski.

The FCC spent year under Obama and bush administration trying to enforce net neutrality
protection. And they faced series of defeats against service providers. FCC decided and passed a
sweeping net neutrality order in 2015. But again in December 2017, republican controlled FCC
orders, freeing broadband providers to block or control content.

Net neutrality supporters have long argued that keeping the web an open playing field is essential
for development. If broadband suppliers pick top choices on the web, new organizations and
advancements may never get the opportunity to develop. For instance, if web suppliers blocked
or extremely restricted video streaming in the mid-2000s, we probably won't have Netflix or
YouTube today. Different advocates highlighted the significance of net neutrality to free
expression: many large telecommunications companies control the broadband market, which puts
large amount of power in their hands to control particular views or limit freedom of online speech
to only those who can pay more.

According to the current information ajit pai, the chairmen of the FCC wants to reverse the 2015
decision that re-classified internet service providers as “common carriers” which subjected them
under regulation of FCC per title II of the communication act. But issue lies down that whether
or not these broadband providers are information service or fall under the category of
telecommunications as a common carrier. If they are as ajit pai argues, then large ISPs will be out
of reach from any regulation by the FCC. And if they come under telecommunications common
carrier as they currently classified under Title II, then the FCC has the ability to step in of large
ISPs abuse their power to privilege their own content/service to further their fiscal interests.

In 2015 new net neutrality rules were re-classified and stated that broadband internet providers as
public utility. The new rules revealed that strict laws would be modified for internet providers,
exempting the companies from price controls typically applied to utilities. Title II of the
communications act gives the FCC much more broader powers, and by simply raising it, it would
be bringing the full authority of the agency to tolerate on internet providers.
Net neutrality today is associated with a broad set of rules established in 2015 stopping internet
providers from blocking and taking control or slowing down the speed of its customers. But these
rules will be revoke starting April 23rd by the republican-dominated U.S federal communications
commission.

If they will be repeal the control will be put in the hand of broadband providers. Opponents of net
neutrality ague that internet should not be regulated as it will steal innovation and investment from
next generation technologies.

Last year in December, the FCC – under republican control, revoke the 2015 rules in favor of a
“light touch”, free market approach and restored consumer protection in the hands of the federal
trade commission.

Tech companies and internet protestors feel in a different way about net neutrality. They say that
internet service providers can control speeds, charge more for faster service and can block
websites and apps if they are not measured more closely by the government.

Republicans have decided to stay on the side of internet providers, while large tech companies
like google and Facebook and other groups and democrats have decided to stay on the side of
Obama-era rules. Democrats also hoped that younger voters might get motivated by net neutrality
during 2018 elections.

In 2010, ISPs, including cox communications, which is owned by cox enterprises Inc., promised
publicly to support core principles of net neutrality, and have since repeated those commitments
of no blocking, no controlling and no unfair discrimination since the rule revoke.

ISPs such as Comcast (NBC Universal) and AT&T have been hiring content makers, and small
companies feared that the big companies will start making their own content and will be giving
priority to their own content instead of others, for e.g. slowing access to Netflix or other platforms.
ISPs say this is an unjustified fear, and that they’re motivated to provide good customer
experiences for broadband and video customers. They note that many ISPs (including Comcast
and Cox) already partner with Netflix to distribute content via their video platforms, and Comcast
or Cox customers can use their voice remotes to search for Netflix shows.
Both of the parties have said that they wanted to see congress settle the issue, or else the matter
will be taken to the courts and settled by them.

Isakson gave a statement saying that equal access to internet should be provided because it’s
important, particularly for rural areas as they don’t have any services provide. He also said that
lawmakers should pass dual-party legislation to prevent abuses.

Providing services in rural areas will be less profitable but how it will affect the service.
Lawmakers in Georgia have contended. Internet providers have said revoke of net neutrality rules
will allow them to invest more in innovative products. And these innovative products will be more
effective, efficient and faster as compare to older ones and they will be able to provide network
across urban areas and will improve service in rural areas.

In June 2018 the FCC repeal of net neutrality rules, which made service providers to offer equal
access to all web content. It was seen that after the commission voted to repeal the rules in
December, it faced a public outcry, legal challenges from stat attorneys general and public interest
groups, and a push by democratic lawmakers to overturn the decision. They were afraid that this
will give them power again to block or censor content available one. Still the repeal was a big win
for ajit pai, the FCC chairman. He also said that it is good for consumers because it restored the
federal trade commission authority over internet service provider. Whereas repeal rules were clear
and cut about the net neutrality and some of the providers took pledge that they will not block
throttle or discriminate.

People are worried about their small ventures might start working slow, people have to pay-to-
play deals and some other issues like these but it’s also stated that they should not be worried
about it because they will ensure that the rules stay in effect. They said that they had repealed the
rules because they restrained broadband providers like Verizon and Comcast from experimenting
new ventures and new business models ad investing in new technologies. President Clinton and
republican congress agreed on the light touch framework to regulating the internet.

Changes in U.S net neutrality rules will also affect other countries for e.g. Canada and more other
people around the world. It will effect on two different levels of business and consumers.
If we talk about business, people are trying to break into large American market with the help of
internet if service providers get their power back then there will be less access to the market for
the sellers or business persons. ISPs will be able to pick and choose which sites and applications
get superior treatment which will directly affect innovations and new ventures.

If we talk about consumers it will be more subtle as compare to business. For e.g. silicon valley
is the source for the majority if the innovations in the digital world and it will be affected as well.

Consumers and public should need to understand that freedom of use of internet is their basic right
and they should make sure they have complete access to information which can be done will the
help of net neutrality rules.