DANCING ON A WIRE SUBTLETIES OF THE NET NEUTRALITY DEBATE

B Y I A N L U R I E

@ P O R T E N T I N T

F O U N D E R , C E O , P O R T E N T , I N C

W W W . P O R T E N T . C O M

THIS IS THE INTERNET

NET NEUTRALITY IS THE BELIEF THAT ALL DATA ON THE INTERNET SHOULD BE TREATED

EQUALLY. Tim Wu, a Columbia Law professor, coined the term back in 2003.

NET NEUTRALITY NO MATTER THE SOURCE, CONTENT OR LOCATION

RIGHT NOW, NET NEUTRALITY RULES THE INTERNET

BUT NET NEUTRALITY IS JUST A

AN ABSTRACT CONCEPT (not a law)

BELIEF

SOME WANT TO CHANGE THE RULES AND END THE ERA OF OF NET NEUTRALITY

ISPS COULD CHARGE SITE OWNERS FOR FASTER DOWNLOAD TIMES ISP = Internet Service Provider The companies that bring the Internet into your home

THEN THOSE SITE OWNERS WOULD CHARGE YOU MORE TO VIEW VIDEOS AND SUCH

THAT’S WHAT YOU HEAR ABOUT MOST: SLOWER, MORE EXPENSIVE CONTENT

BUT THERE’S MORE

IT COULD ALSO MAKE LIFE MUCH, MUCH HARDER FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT THE END OF NET NEUTRALITY WOULD ALLOW ISPs TO CHARGE HIGHER FEES FOR SITES THEY DON’T LIKE

CENSORSHIP THE END OF NET NEUTRALITY WOULD ALLOW ISPs TO BLOCK IDEAS THEY DON’T LIKE

SERVICE ON THE OTHER HAND, HIGHER PROFITS COULD EQUAL BETTER SERVICE

DIGITAL DIVIDE ON THE OTHER HAND, HIGHER PROFITS COULD MEAN BETTER ACCESS IN UNDERSERVED AREAS

DIGITAL DIVIDE ON THE OTHER HAND, HIGHER PROFITS COULD MEAN BETTER ACCESS IN UNDERSERVED AREAS OR EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE

MY POINT I HAVEN’T COVERED ALL THE ISSUES. OR COMPLETELY COVERED THE ONES I DISCUSS.

MY POINT IS THAT THERE’S MORE TO THIS THAN VIDEO DOWNLOAD SPEED.

MY POINT IS THAT THERE’S MORE TO THIS THAN VIDEO DOWNLOAD SPEED. I’VE TRIED TO PRESENT SOME ARGUMENTS FROM BOTH SIDES.

I’D LOVE IT IF YOU WENT OUT AND SUPPORTED NET NEUTRALITY

BUT AT LEAST THINK ABOUT IT. ALL OF THE ISSUES. THE GOOD AND BAD.

AND THEN MADE YOUR OWN DECISION BY BALANCING THOSE ISSUES

THANKS 

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Created by Ian Lurie, CEO & Founder of Portent, Inc.

Find him @portentint Find his company at www.portent.com

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