Net Neutrality

So, Net Neutrality is dead, so saith the FCC and Republicans. Somewhere in a cigar smoke filled room, the people who own internet service providers are clapping each other on the back, while drinking the finest of liquors. The internet is now the Wild Wild West, and we inhabitants of it have been disarmed, have no Marshall at our back to protect us. Now I have heard several things in regards to this that have left me scratching my head.

As of today, providers are now free to limit speeds to specific content, or outright block it. As Liberal Larry said on FaceBook, get your porn while you can. They can now tier service, want faster internet pay more, what to read CNN or Fox News, but you are a customer of Comcast (who owns MSNBC) yeah you might have to pay extra. Pai said that it would create incentive to build new networks in new areas, and that it will promote competition. Yeah, I can see this now, AT&T will move in and try and poach Comcast customers. Hey, did you know I have the choice between Comcast and a provider called Gamewood. I would prefer Gamewood, as it offers fiberoptic based internet and television, but it takes almost two months to get service installed because... Comcast.

Okay, I have said previously the ways that this new way of running the internet can be abused. Groups like Comcast restricting or banning the use of online services like NetFlix, unless NetFlix decides to pay up to Comcast or we decide to up our service (with an obligatory two year service contract), to be allowed to use it. Its kinda like FaceBook's pay to spread entries. Pay to play, coming to an internet provider near you.

Now, for their part, the providers have said that you aren't going to have any experience changes. In my cynical mind, it should read, “We aren't going to mess with your internet at this time.” Now, back in the day, when Apple first released Facetime, which I have never used, AT&T blocked it, as it tends to be a data hog. Yeah, I can see that, but not really. If you are using the cell phones internet, yeah that could cause some issues, but if you are going through your home internet provider, it shouldn't be a problem... Unless you are using a cable based internet provider like... Comcast, or Suddenlink, in which internet speeds will decline with the more people using it. They say that isn't so, but I've used Comcast, and yeah, its true. We knew when school was out, because the internet would slow down to worse than dial-up speed.

But hey, I am all for more competition, that drives everything. It lowers costs, it produces better service (as long as you don't have to wait two years), O'Reilly, not of Fox News fame, said that he wants a federal law that protects the ability for companies to charge extra for faster connections, you know paid prioritization. Yeah, we already have lackluster internet connection speeds in the US, so people should pay more for faster lackluster internet connection speeds.

I'm sorry, but as a guy who has the need for speed, the only limits placed on internet speed should be based on the highest possible reliable speed a provider can offer. But that requires providers to fork out some money to seriously upgrade their capabilities. Something they have proven unwilling to do. Well there are two pieces of good news currently here. First, they won't do anything immediately, so there is a bit of time to plan ahead. Second, this can be undone, just as soon as Net Neutrality is made into law, rather than a regulatory agreement. Honestly, I have long felt that utilities, including internet are a human right, necessary to live (given how the internet is the basis for finding and getting hired for so many jobs today).