Good Description of Net Neutrality
In this K Street Confidential column, Jeffrey H. Birnbaum gives a good description of net neutrality and why it’s important.
"Net neutrality, which is shorthand for network neutrality, is one of two possible answers to the following legislative question: Should cable and telephone companies be allowed to charge add-on fees to others for access to their networks?
Under a net-neutral system, the answer would be ‘no.’ If net neutrality were to lose, the answer would be ‘yes.’"
I’ve been thinking of net neutrality in terms similar to two situations in Boston. If I want to be able to use my cell phone on the subway, I need to have service through a specific provider who has a contract with the transit authority. If I want to listen to the radio while I’m driving through the tunnels known commonly as the Big Dig, I need to listen to specific radio stations. (This situation probably has more to do with technical issues than businesses contracting with each other.) Do I want to have Internet access like these situations? Do I want to have to use a specific provider to have access to certain sites? Do I only want to be able to choose from the sites that work through an ISP? Do I only want users from certain ISPs visiting the sites I have? No. Of course not.
June 27th, 2006 at 7:13 pm
Alternatively, you’re paying for the road to your home but the road maintainer wants to be able to send most visitors the long way around and only let those who pay it’s bribe use the short way you’ve already paid for.
June 27th, 2006 at 7:13 pm
Alternatively, you’re paying for the road to your home but the road maintainer wants to be able to send most visitors the long way around and only let those who pay it’s bribe use the short way you’ve already paid for.
June 28th, 2006 at 2:00 pm
That’s a really good analogy and one that’s much easier to understand. = )
Thanks!