FCC Votes for Net Neutrality

US Votes for Net Neutrality, Again. 

Tune in to this episode as Darnley delves into the critical topic of Net Neutrality. Explore why the FCC's stance seems to waver, unravel the backstory of net neutrality, and gain insights into its fundamental principles. Join us for a deep dive into this pivotal issue shaping the future of the internet.

Transcript

EP 73 – FCC Votes for Net Neutrality

Episode Recap:

·      FCC Votes to reinstate net neutrality

·      The Importance of Why We Need Net Neutrality

·      A Series of Tubes

FCC Votes to reinstate net neutrality

·      This was a partial transcript of the late US-Senator Stevens to describe the internet in context of opposing network neutrality. This comment was back on June 28, 2006 while he struggled to find a metaphor to critize the bill. This bill would have prohibited internet service providers such as AT&T, Comcast, Time Warner, and Verizon from charging fees to give a higher priority in relation to other traffic. Techno Ted Series of tubes song has etched forever in internet pop memory of the 2000’s. Ted was born in 1923, so his understand of where the internet was in 2006, I don’t blame the guy for having a limited understanding of the topic, albeit, should not have a hard position on something he did not fully understand anyway. 

·      What is the FCC? For the Non-Americans, FCC is the Federal Communications Commission, which is an independent agency in the United States that regulates communications by radio, TV, satellite, and cable. The FCC equivalents in the world are:    

o   Canada: CRTC (Canadian Radio Television and Telecommunications Commisson)

o   Europe: BEREC (Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications)

o   Africa: African Telecommunications union

·      Here is a brief history of the war of net neutrality:

o   Net Neutrality was first coined back in 2003 when in the early 2000s internet providers started to ban VPN (Virtual Private Networks) or setting up their own WiFi routers, which inspired the movement. 

o   In 2008 FCC orders Comcast to stop throttling BitTorrent connections. 

o   In 2009 Apple is caught blocking iPhone users from making Skype calls at the request from AT&T. The companies eventually relent under pressure from the FCC.

o   In 2015, the FCC passes a net neutrality order, preventing the blocking or prioritize of any internet traffic. 

o  Then in 2017 the FCC abandons the 2015 order allow broadband providers to block or throttle traffic as they see fit. 

o  Now in 2024 made an official vote to reinstate net neutrality. 

·      To say there is an important reason aside from politics as to why…

The Importance of Why We Need Net Neutrality

·      Net neutrality is the principle that governments should mandate internet service providers to treat all data on the internet as the same, and not to discriminate or charge differently by user, content, website, platform, application, type of attached equipment or method of communication. 

·      Is the USA late in the game of Net Neutrality? Are there some countries that do not enforce net neutrality? Yes! Here are some honourable mentions

o   Argentina, Australia, China, Chile, New Zealand, Russia, Indonesia, India. 

·      I will add that some the countries listed are partially enforced, there has been violations in recent history. I won’t get into specifics, just an overview here. 

·      So what does it matters? Without Net Neutrality, your internet provider can throttle (meaning increase or decrease) your internet speeds, and restrict access to certain websites. Remember back in the day where you could only select specific cable channels? Something like this...you would need a subscription or pay more to see more channels.

·      Net Neutrality means that ISPs cannot change users access fees for particular websites. Meaning that ISPs can establish tiered packages with certain in-network websites as a fee for accessing out of network sites, video streaming, online gaming and any other high-bandwidth services. So, imagine having to pay extra to stream Netflix or see another website that does not belong to AT&T for example. 

·      Politics can play a key role here too, for example an ISP could support one candidate in an election could slow down or block access to the opposing political parties’ websites, or could charge access to view these websites for either candidate. See how messy this can get?

·      There have been arguments against Net Neutrality, which I’ve seen arguments that it is about freeing the internet from Government regulation. Although there is some light regulation involved, this allows consumers to gain access to all content equally, giving freedom of choice. 

·      I will add that consumers do not have that much of a choice, most homes in North American have one or two choices to choose from. That does not debate net neutrality, just an observation. Also note that all of these other ISPs are actually using the big ISPs connections, which are simply white label products. 

·      So not that the FCC has passed, again, the net neutrality laws in the USA…

Is The Internet A Series of Tubes? 

·      I wouldn’t stop at tubes per say, it is a series of interconnected computers, servers, routers, switches, and wires. It is a network of private, public, academic, business, and government networks of local and global scope. To be put simply

·      These tubes, physical and wireless, transverse the globe and orbit the earth. Our connection to the internet has enabled us in recent memory to be able to work and play in ways our great-grandparents never envisioned before. I will give Nikola Tesla an honourable mention as he did imagine a world connected wirelessly that would fit in your pocket. 

·      We may have taken the internet for granted today as many governments and businesses try to take control over it by using fear to change our minds. 

·      I will also argue that our governments should maintain some light-control over the internet in order to stop illegal activities from occurring. Especially when we are at a time where misinformation and disinformation is at the point where you cannot question between fact or fiction anymore.  

·      By keeping the internet free, we will avoid the onslaught of greedy corporations that try to make a few extra dollars in gaining access to what we have today.

·      And by keeping the internet free, we give our people some hope in protecting against tyrannical governments that look to control their population through phycological warfare which many non-democratic governments have a firm grip over.