Network neutrality and why the internet so far has worked under it
Network neutrality, also in a short form referred to as net neutrality, is more of a freedom call for the internet users not to be restricted by internet service providers on the web content they can access or that they can upload on the web. According to Farber, this has made it a grand issue on a policy that is bound to change the use of the internet by both businesses and individuals. At its inception, the internet has continued to run under this principle which has been instrumental to its growth and new ideas. Farber goes on to explain how the concept of evenly balanced access to web content has contributed to the drastic growth seen in internet use.
Those for and against network neutrality and their reasons
The customers of the network providers support network neutrality and propose a regulation that will favor them. They argue that allowing broadband carriers to manipulate what is accessed online would be detrimental to the principles behind the success of the internet (Farber 451). Farber goes on to illustrate that shortly, a huge number of web users will face restrictions from internet service providers who discriminate against certain online activities. Stakeholders in the internet industry have pushed for legislation to control internet principles. Most suggest that broadband carriers are impartial and will not protect proper legislation. New trends on the internet will limit the choice of broadband carriers. The legislation should control the activity of the broadband carriers.
Control of information should not be left to the carriers as they may be biased. This will result in total domination of the online services by the carriers. The take of the network providers on the matter is from a different angle. They believe that the extra mile they take is not appreciated when they spend a lot of their resources on network infrastructure. Other companies which are their customers do not pay more yet they use this infrastructure so heavy that strains the network maintenance budget. As Faber explains, the strategy of the internet service providers is therefore differentiation of price charges about bandwidth consumed by content delivery on the internet. Service providers argue that this is fair considering that a fraction of less than 10% of its customers uses more than half the capacity of the local network without extra pay.
Impact of tiered service on corporations, individual users, and government organizations
When access to the internet is based on one’s ability to pay and their significance, then the largest losers will be individual users who cannot compete with government organizations or corporate institutions. With priority given to premium users, then the individual users will either lose connectivity or be limited in their access to websites. Further, it would enhance socio-economic classism with the rich few accessing information that others cannot because of their inability to pay for it.
Why I am in favor of network neutrality being enforced by legislation
By legislation enforcing it, unwarranted discrimination will be prevented to earn money at the expense of our freedom. Also, legislation is grounded on the law and every person found culpable will be prosecuted according to the law.