The internet and other ways of communication is part of our lives, we use our technology on a daily basis. As users, it allows us to do mostly everything at the tip of our fingers. We enjoy free access to the internet, we are informed of the latest news, and we can watch our favorite videos and movie. Net neutrality is the idea that all data on the internet is an open market, anybody has access to the internet, and all websites are treated equally with no preferential treatment than another website (Seeman 1). For example, google should not get special reatment than Facebook they should be treated the same.
Net Neutrality is a controversial topic and refer to whether the internet providers should be charged more for the use of the programs, but it violates consumer’s freedom of choice on the web. Moreover, ISPS believe they should control websites and what people access in the internet. An ISP (Internet Service Providers) which is a company that provides consumers and businesses access and the use of the internet. This ISP is important because without it you cannot access the internet. For example, if you ant to access or surf through certain websites the ISP want to charge their consumers an extra fee.
If the consumer does not pay this extra fee, they will be able to block the content. According to Phil Kerpen, director of policy for American Prosperity and Chairman of the internet Freed Coalitons, states that net neutrality laws would prevent internet service providers from controlling the contents and discriminate against other websites for their use (Putz 1). Now, if ISP’s take control over content providers, they are forced to charge their consumers as well. I believe that no telecommunication companies have the right to block access to individual access, or control what we view.
The FCC (Federal Communication Commission) is an independent government agency responsible for regulating the television, radio, and phone industries. Net neutrality should have more regulations, the FCC should regulate ISP so they will not be allowed to charge their consumers their own prices on accessing certain websites. The ISP’s would be the only ones that are benefiting from this. Now, consumers and internet contents would be most affected, it will become less economical or content providers and consumers to use the internet.
The FCC has proposed new rules that could have a negative impact in the internet and us as consumers. Now we enjoy our bandwidth providers that create “slow” and “fast” lane traffic. Slow lane is referred to slow internet, and fast lane is faster internet. As consumers, we enjoy our fast internet, we have access to our favorite sites without the wait of download. The question is should consumers pay the consequences of FCC not being able to regulate the ISP”S. The ISP want to treat data and ompanies differently with preferential treatment than others.
Therefore, ISP can choose who gets fast lane and what price. For example, the average each person uses the internet is 290 minutes rather than watching television such as Verizon, Comcast, and other broadcasts which is used 77 minutes each day ( “The statistics Portal”). With these statistics, you can clearly see that people use the web more than any other medium. If ISP’s take control of the content providers, now users will have less accessibility to information in the internet and it will take more time to access anything in the web.
Next, net neutrality allows for users to access to certain places in the web such as watching and streaming videos without further charge. Netflix was a small mail by mail service now it has expanded where users can access videos in the internet streaming videos to 64,000,000 viewers daily within minutes (Netflix Company Statistics). Netflix is the top entertainment for the society, now if ISP’s control what people watch and view will be tragic. More than half of the world enjoy watching these videos, if net neutrality is eliminated people have to pay ridiculous amounts of money to watch a video they desire.
However, the FCC should have more regulations for the ISP’s won’t have full access and power to charge consumers whatever price they want with no exception. This will not be economical advantage for the consumer they will be forced to not access these websites due to not being able to afford it. Secondly, net neutrality prevents ISP’s from controlling all internet and content but also they are not considering how it would affect them directly. Now, if net neutrality is not controlled, then it will allow ISP’s to block and throttle the information that is being viewed.
They will have full control of everything users are viewing and will block or censor the information. People will not be able to have a say on how it’s going to be controlled and it prevents people from expressing themselves without worrying about being blocked. According to an article from the Washington Post, the amount of the internet people surf is 42,000 people surf a minute (Fung 1). In 2014, an infographic was created to track how much data is generated every minute the results are shocking.
For example, Facebook users share 2. million pieces of content, Instagram users post 20,000 new posts, and Apple users download about 50,000 apps in internet (Gunelius 1). Without the resource of the internet to be open market to everybody the information that is collected or exchange will make things more difficult on social media and other places of communication. The information that is being exchanged will be censored, which means that the information that people view will not be the original of it and people might be missing out important information. People’s access to the internet could be very expensive if the FCC doesn’t regulate the ISP’s.
For example, in the business world, offices re run by many programs, this is a huge disadvantage of the market. Throughout offices, the information that is being gathered is all run through the programs that are high tech that will prevent from an office running successfully on a daily basis. If programs are blocked then owners will not be able to access to certain things nor view information within the program (Luckerson 2). Also, if the customers do not pay for faster internet certain websites will be slower than others. Customers will be experience bad experiences on the internet.
Moreover, the society today has many ways to communicate ith their family and friends from different places around the world. A common way people you are able to communicate with others is called Skype. Skype is a service that allows you to call| and communicate with other skype users across the world for free through the skype app. Skype offers you chat live videos, now if net neutrality did not exist, skype users will be forced to pay to access skype and will pay for better internet. The ISP will have access to what consumers view, while they are navigating through the internet they can experience slower internet than ther websites.
Many ask themselves is the ISP being fair to everybody that rely on the internet on a daily basis. Is it violating our freedom of expression and opinion? Now, by the ISP censoring, blocking, and trolling the internet, people will not be able to access fast their social media or see original By this I mean, people will not be able to send specific emails, access their social media, or watch our favorite shows and movies. Without the internet being an open market, people would not be able to be informed of the latest news and gossips that the world is talking about.
In the internet people can post and express their personal opinions on politic matters. You can discuss or point out your view towards politicians without the fear of being convicted or punished for what you think. Clearly, net neutrality is here to stay, it has many advantages for our people and its users that can only affect us in the long run. I believe the FCC should regulate the ISP’s so they won’t be charge the consumers the price they want. Internet providers should not discriminate other programs based on the prestige of website.
All websites should be treated the same ble without special treatment from others. All websites are equally the same, it does not matter who access them their shouldn’t be an extra charge. The FCC should consider what the consumers can afford, and find a way that can be affordable to the customers if net neutrality is eliminated. The customers should be able to access certain websites without the need of experiencing slower internet. The open market has many options for the consumers but FCC needs to take action to this matter. Internet providers should consider and meet the needs of their customers.
Also, they should make economical decision that will benefit both not only the ISP. Net neutrality benefits users and everybody else, it is our tool to access anything at the tip of our finger. We have easy access to information that we can view in the internet, rather than buying books or paying for information. The internet is a great advantage since the content providers protect the customers and provide consumers with better internet for a low cost. Now, if net neutrality is eliminated the prices to everything will increase dramatically and will affect the economy.