Senate Set to Give Net Neutrality a Thumbs Down
The Senate will hear Senate Journal Resolution 6 (pdf) on Wednesday, which states that the FCC's Net Neutrality rules are null and void. The House passed a similar resolution in April. The version of "Net Neutrality" that the FCC has asserted protects the right of individual service subscribers to choose the applications and services they would like to use over the Internet.
The alternate version of Net Neutrality protects the service providers right to determine how bandwidth is allocated on the service provider's network. The issue gets complex because most major service providers are also content providers, and Net Neutrality defined in this way would offer these companies a tool to improve their competitive stance. Small content providers and start-ups would have a more difficult time competing against large ISPs if their bandwidth is limited and content delivery degraded.
Net Neutrality defined in favor of ISPs would offer a better regulatory platform, so we'll have to keep an eye on the PIPA and E-Parasite acts to see whether these pieces of anti-piracy legislation will become part of the net neutrality debate. If ISPs are required to protect copyright, limiting bandwidth and shutting off smaller content providers would be critical tools to have in their toolbox.
Image courtesy Telecast-Fiber.com
Follow Technorati