WHAT IS NET NEUTRALITY?
The primary objective of the Net Neutrality movement is to keep the internet open and accessible to all users, application providers and network carriers. Basically, the internet should not be interfered with by Internet Service Providers (ISPs); with specific websites or applications not being favoured over others.
Internet Service Providers can easily detect what customers use their connections for. They can discover if you regularly participate in online gaming, or use peer-to-peer programs such as BitTorrent. Subsequently, they can traffic shape your connection, directing different speeds or bandwidth to various applications. For instance, online gaming might be permitted, while peer-to-peer connections such as BitTorrent may be deliberately slowed down.
The whole point of shaping traffic is to stop users clogging up the internet, therefore preventing other users connections from becoming slow. Some people believe ISPs limit certain applications that threaten their own businesses. Take Skype as a prime example, which allows free VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) phone calls. Companies such as Sky and TalkTalk are threatened by these sorts of applications, and therefore may wish to alter their traffic allowance. This type of activity is also known as throttling, when the advertised network speed is not met. If new Net Neutrality laws were implemented this activity would be deemed illegal.
Net neutrality is an essential aspect in my opinion, and benefits the internet in the same way open source benefits software. With Google and Barack Obama on board, it can't be long before new laws are implemented. The only aspect consumers will be concerned about is whether the cost of Net Neutrality will be passed onto them.
Posted on 3/09/2010 by JUDICIOUS JOE and filed under
DIGITAL CULTURES
| 0 Comments »
Internet Service Providers can easily detect what customers use their connections for. They can discover if you regularly participate in online gaming, or use peer-to-peer programs such as BitTorrent. Subsequently, they can traffic shape your connection, directing different speeds or bandwidth to various applications. For instance, online gaming might be permitted, while peer-to-peer connections such as BitTorrent may be deliberately slowed down.
The whole point of shaping traffic is to stop users clogging up the internet, therefore preventing other users connections from becoming slow. Some people believe ISPs limit certain applications that threaten their own businesses. Take Skype as a prime example, which allows free VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) phone calls. Companies such as Sky and TalkTalk are threatened by these sorts of applications, and therefore may wish to alter their traffic allowance. This type of activity is also known as throttling, when the advertised network speed is not met. If new Net Neutrality laws were implemented this activity would be deemed illegal.
"To seize this moment we have to ensure free and full exchange of information, and that starts with an open internet. I will take a back seat to no one in my commitment to network neutrality, because once providers start to privilege some applications or websites over others then the smaller voices get squeezed out and we all lose. The internet is perhaps the most open network in history and we have to keep it that way."
Barack Obama (November 14, 2007 - Mountain View, California)Net neutrality is an essential aspect in my opinion, and benefits the internet in the same way open source benefits software. With Google and Barack Obama on board, it can't be long before new laws are implemented. The only aspect consumers will be concerned about is whether the cost of Net Neutrality will be passed onto them.
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