Keeping the Net Neutral

Net neutrality is defined as a policy where internet service providers (ISPs) such as Comcast or Verizon must treat everything on the internet as the same, and not block, slow down or charge extra for content, websites or bandwidth.

It's been working rather well for most users, whether we own a business, write blogs or just use it to search for stuff.  There are flaws such as living in areas that still have dial-up service, or some folks not being able to afford internet service, period.  Who would want to mess up a system like that?

The Federal Communications Commission would.  Its commissioner, Ajit Pai, would like to reverse net neutrality rules for the sake of allowing ISPs to increase its investment in infrastructure and innovation.  Opponents see it as a backdoor way for the FCC to allow ISPs to charge more for putting its favored services at blazing broadband speed, while everyone else has to watch their screens buffer nonstop at a lower price.

The last time we went through this debate was in 2015 when, after a public outcry, the FCC reclassified broadband access as a telecommunications service and not a luxury.  Net neutrality was saved!  But now that we have a new president, it has become another vestige of the Barack Obama era that President Donald Trump would like to get rid of.  And the Republicans have become masters at making attempts to fix what isn't broken.  Like, let's say, health care.  Or tax reform.

As for the ISPs, who stand to gain plenty with the proposed repeal of net neutrality, some of them have pledged to keep things the way they are, insisting that they would never ever pinky swear take unfair advantage of the consumer.  Should we believe them?

The FCC will make a final decision on net neutrality sometime in December.  Which will probably be followed by legal challenges if the vote doesn't go the way of either side.  What happens next could determine whether the internet remains open and free, or it becomes tangled in corporate barbed wire.

UPDATE (12/14/17):  The FCC voted 3-2 to end the net neutrality rules, leading to dire predictions on what this all means to Average Joes and Janes  The rules don't go into effect for a couple of months, but that's plenty of time for lawsuits to delay the process and for Congress to come up with its own ideas of keeping the net neutral.  Since whatever Congress comes up with will probably be lobbied down to include major concessions to the telecoms and not much to those who use and pay for the internet--that is, if they decide to act on it at all, it's better to let the judges decide.