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The New York Times has an article today about the new regulations that the F.C.C. will be enforcing. There will be two sets of rules. One for fixed-line providers and one for wireless. They say that they are trying to preserve Net Neutrality.
However they are going to allow wireless providers to have a greater latitude about what they can and cannot block. According to the article (wireless providers) would be prohibited from blocking Web sites, but not from blocking applications or services unless those applications directly compete with providers’ voice and video products, like Skype. The FCC claims that there are currently technological reasons for the double standard and they would keep examining the issue.
What does this mean to you and me? Well if you like Google Maps and you are on Verizon, Verizon is not allowed to block your access to Google Maps or slow it down by making it a second tier program over their own Verizon maps (which is not as good as Google Maps). If you like Firefox over Safari, ATT can’t block you from using Firefox App on its network or on your iPhone.
But Net Neutrality is a myth. All Apps aren’t created equal nor are all programs. We already know about different broadband networks choking or slowing Netflix from streaming freely especially if they have an on demand component to their service. Once they were caught, they opened the faucet a little more to give the illusion of equal access but they only do that if they are caught. Honestly there is very little consequence to them if they are caught and that is not going to change.
Businesses can decide what can and cannot be viewed within their own systems. Many businesses have the website Facebook blocked because it is a time sink. It uses to be AOL was blocked because again productivity was way down. They can do that and the employees have no say in it or rather didn’t. With all the smart phones, employees can still take the time to check facebook or their personal e-mail without leaving a cyber fingerprint on their employer’s system as long as they don’t use the wifi within the system.
Service providers have argued that since they have paid a large amount of money for the bandwidth they are using, they should have some say over what is taking up that bandwidth and they have been informed that that argument won’t fly because of so called Net Neutrality. We are moving to a two tier system anyway with the “Super Internet” and the regular internet in the future. Also wireless is getting more powerful and more streamlined to allow for more data to be sent around in the air. We now have what they are calling 4G which is faster than 3G if you have a good signal but you have to use their services to get “true” 4G speed.
I don’t think that the rules that will be put in place will change anything as it is and it might stop some underhanded practices down the road. I still don’t believe there is anything like true Net Neutrality.
I am grateful for what I can do on the Internet.
However they are going to allow wireless providers to have a greater latitude about what they can and cannot block. According to the article (wireless providers) would be prohibited from blocking Web sites, but not from blocking applications or services unless those applications directly compete with providers’ voice and video products, like Skype. The FCC claims that there are currently technological reasons for the double standard and they would keep examining the issue.
What does this mean to you and me? Well if you like Google Maps and you are on Verizon, Verizon is not allowed to block your access to Google Maps or slow it down by making it a second tier program over their own Verizon maps (which is not as good as Google Maps). If you like Firefox over Safari, ATT can’t block you from using Firefox App on its network or on your iPhone.
But Net Neutrality is a myth. All Apps aren’t created equal nor are all programs. We already know about different broadband networks choking or slowing Netflix from streaming freely especially if they have an on demand component to their service. Once they were caught, they opened the faucet a little more to give the illusion of equal access but they only do that if they are caught. Honestly there is very little consequence to them if they are caught and that is not going to change.
Businesses can decide what can and cannot be viewed within their own systems. Many businesses have the website Facebook blocked because it is a time sink. It uses to be AOL was blocked because again productivity was way down. They can do that and the employees have no say in it or rather didn’t. With all the smart phones, employees can still take the time to check facebook or their personal e-mail without leaving a cyber fingerprint on their employer’s system as long as they don’t use the wifi within the system.
Service providers have argued that since they have paid a large amount of money for the bandwidth they are using, they should have some say over what is taking up that bandwidth and they have been informed that that argument won’t fly because of so called Net Neutrality. We are moving to a two tier system anyway with the “Super Internet” and the regular internet in the future. Also wireless is getting more powerful and more streamlined to allow for more data to be sent around in the air. We now have what they are calling 4G which is faster than 3G if you have a good signal but you have to use their services to get “true” 4G speed.
I don’t think that the rules that will be put in place will change anything as it is and it might stop some underhanded practices down the road. I still don’t believe there is anything like true Net Neutrality.
I am grateful for what I can do on the Internet.
