For the past few years, the Internet as a whole has been rightfully bitching and complaining about ISP providers aiming to kill the Internet through the establishment of pay tolls controlling access and speed. For those of not in the know, this fight has been labeled Net Neutrality. With companies like Comcast, Verizon and Time Warner constantly lobbying crooked politicians in WashingtonD.C. to institute tolls to Internet access, the concept of Net Neutrality – a free and equal Internet playing field wherein everyone receives the same access – is under constant assault.
The choice is simple when it comes to Net Neutrality. Either you are for an open landscape wherein all companies and consumers pay the same amount to access the infrastructure of the Internet or you are for a tolled Internet in which those who pay to play gain faster access speeds and better connection to Internet infrastructures.
You are either for Net Neutrality or you are against it. There is no middle ground.
Interestingly enough, the Internet can be viewed as a utility. Just as water or electricity is a utility, the Internet acts in the same function. In both cases, water just like the Internet needs some amount of government/guiding body regulation. Just like water has government bodies regulating toxicity amounts per parts, the Internet has an overall governing body (ICANN) to determine IP ranges and global domain name systems. Both function as a utility and both maintain an overall body of governance.
The major difference between the Internet and any other utility is free and clear access to the Internet can and does determine which companies rise and fall. With our global economy growing more digital by the minute, free and equal access to the Internet means a kid in his basement in San Diego or Paris can build the next Google, Netflix or Twitter. By limiting access and connection to the Internet to only those who are willing to pay the tolls, companies which are yet to be may never rise, companies which are will have a harder time building products/servicing their clients and well established companies will have the means to corner the market killing creativity in burgeoning ideas.
The fight for Net Neutrality, until now, has been a public one waged in courts, the Hill and within the ever-reverberating walls of Internet forums like Twitter and Reddit. The fight has been waged publically on blog spots and digital media like Mashable wherein Netflix and Google called out ISP’s for their ongoing battle to end Net Neutrality.
The fight was public, until now. Leveled by Internet provider Level 3, the provider is citing six unnamed companies for trying to extort money out of providers like Level 3 to allow for unfettered access to the Internet. ISP’s were fighting this battle publically on the Hill and in the corridors of Congress. Now, it seems, they are fighting the Net Neutrality battle privately by extorting Internet providers to pay their imposed tolls.
The main reason this is troubling is unless the public is notified of the Net Neutrality battle being waged behind doors through alerts sounded by Level 3 and others, the public has no idea what is going on. Without public alerts, the battle for Net Neutrality – a battle which touches every Internet and non Internet user alike – will be fought in private. This is a major issue. As they say, sunshine is the best disinfectant.
Comcast is trying to kill the Internet as we know it. Level 3, Netflix and Google (for their own selfish reasons) are trying to protect it. Hopefully the sun can keep the darkness at bay.