Network Neutrality Regulations
Network Neutrality was one of the founding principles of Internet gurus Vinton Cerf and Sir Tim Berners-Lee. Neutrality on the Internet is like the First Amendment is to Free Speech. It must be guaranteed as it has been for the life of the Internet and for the inventors it was intended to operate as a neutral network. Non-discrimination has been a cornerstone of the nation’s communications networks since the 1930s.
The telecommunications companies are trying to stop legislation that would ensure Network Neutrality. Without Network Neutrality, the big companies who want to control the Internet will destroy the people’s network. It would be taking away the freedom of access from the Internet. Writing Net Neutrality into law would preserve the freedoms we currently enjoy on the Internet. For the right price to the right customers the big companies essentially want to shut out all the smaller users so that there is no competition.
Network Neutrality Means No Censorship
Well it is a battle among corporate raiders but the real issue is lack of access to the Internet for the millions of people who use the Internet to get their own message out there.
Network Neutrality is crucial for the success of small business owners who use the Internet to compete on an even playing field. Many won’t be able to afford the cost of Internet availability; Network Neutrality fosters new ideas; right now an entrepreneur can enter the Internet and create their own businesses. If the big guys get their way, the Internet will be open and free but only to those who can pay big money for preferential treatment.
Think about it, if Congress were to allow corporate giants to ‘own’ the Internet, the rest of will be shut out unless we can pay the big bucks for access like the large corporations can do. There are so many ways to deter the public from using the Internet. If the large companies get their way - connecting to your office may be slow, sharing photos and videos might take forever and business we conduct every day, such as banking, on the Internet could cost the user a pretty penny. That is, if you want your material to show up at all on the web.
High costs of transmitting data will deter small independents and bloggers from using the Internet. Taking away Net Neutrality is like closing all the libraries. Censorship at its worst unless you have the money to join the Internet Elite.
The Loss of Network Neutrality
There is so much to lose if Network Neutrality dies. Access to information would be limited to only what the Internet providers want you to see; competition in a free enterprise society would not exist. Only the only people nixing Net Neutrality would benefit – with millions more dollars in their fat pockets.
The Internet may have been created by two visionaries but its widespread acceptance and use by the public has made it what it is today. Without Network Neutrality, the communications companies will dictate what we get to see on the Internet and its contents and applications will be driven by those who would consider themselves the custodians of the Internet.
Network Neutrality on the Internet guarantees freedom of expression – one of the freedoms granted in the U.S. constitution. A communications vehicle as powerful as the Internet must continue to belong to us all. The public would lose all say on what and how to use to Internet. Those decisions would be made by the top brass in the big business community. It is unbelievable to most of us that one of the most remarkable innovations of the past century would just become a marketing tool to satisfy corporate greed.
