Net Neutrality is good for our economy

vilgalys

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If large ISP and web providers get their way on this, they can effectively "lock out" internet start-ups, nonprofits, and those unable to pay for premium bandwidth. Why should we hand over the internet, which was developed with public money, over to large corporations who will only inflate the costs to consumers in the same way wireless companies nickle and dime us to death with access fees? Allowing ISPs to stifle small internet businesses is a sure way to make sure Americans keep losing their jobs and that web innovation will move overseas.

Idea # 45The Open Internet & Innovation

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Dar 4 months ago

Net Neutrality is bad for the economy.

The best for the economy is freedom and that means a free market. Market forces can work in improving the quality and quantity of services. For some reason, some people skip honest market methods and go straight to demanding rules on everybody.

Those core laws are all that are needed: laws against breach of contract, against fraud, against theft and so on. We don't need a lot of regulations.

What can the feds do? They can require "neutrality" on all government pipes. They can remove incentives for cronyism monopolies.

Remember, freedom is protected. Neutrality is forced on people.

vandalin7 4 months ago

Net Neutrality is very bad for the economy.

America is primarily employed by small businesses. If you remove their ability to compete on the web than America will suffer.

Conservatives are all for Equity. Everyone gets a chance to participate in the market. Removing the principles that are currently in place will allow ISPs to play favorites with content. This removes the principles of an open market of competition.

Net Neutrality is the only way to keep capitalism alive. These principles are in place now. If you like the way your internet works now you like Net Neutrality. These corporations will try to confuse this issue about being about opening up markets. It Isn't they already enjoy a monopoly. There is no competition in the telecommunications industry. It is not an exaggeration these telecoms have a monopoly. There is no competition in their market.

vandalin7 4 months ago

Net Neutrality is GOOD for the economy. (typo)

vilgalys 4 months ago

This is not an issue of "market forces" it is an issue of public policy when it comes to internet bandwidth. In my area there is a choice between two companies for high-speed internet. Either Time Warner for cable, or Verizon for DSL. Both of these companies have histories showing mixed signals as far as their commitment to net neutrality. A choice between two monopolies is not a "free market" in any sense at all.

At that, the issue of net neutrality specifically is one of *reducing* regulation in that these ISPs and access providers are attempting to regulate bandwidth according to their own rules, as opposed to simply providing bandwidth regardless of its content.

An example might be Time Warner deciding to pipe through traffic from its own media empire at a faster speed than its competitors. This would not be a "market force" in any sense, it would an anti-competitive step taken by a company we've allowed a monopoly over our local cable lines, the installation of which has been subsidized by public money. This an abuse that we, as consumers should not allow and so this "regulation" which is really just a re-statement of current policies, is necessary to keep our internet access as-is.

dbg 4 months ago

Unfortunately, once net neutrality gets imposed there won't be any ISPs left. No telecom provider is going to invest in backbone upkeep if all revenue models are stripped away. You'll have your free internet and it will slowly grind to a halt.

Or maybe someone could explain who's going to support these neutered networks where everybody gets everything for free. (..anybody, Bueller, anybody...)

Tony 4 months ago

So Americans will stop using broadband once net neutrality rules are passed?
The answer is no we have the fasting growing broadband market in the America's. Also, those TV stations that got converted to HD now have a free spectrum for companies to pick up and offer services. Providers can milk money out of us so they will continue but there is a difference from making a profit and greed at the expense of the American people.

ntom 4 months ago

How is this going to be paid for?

http://www.fcc.gov/telecom.html

vilgalys 4 months ago

dbg, what are you talking about? Net Neutrality has nothing to do with giving everyone "free internet". This is about setting a standard for internet service, in fact it's about keeping the same standard for service that we've enjoyed since the internet's creation.

If you really really like getting charged a lot of extra fees for everything you currently get for a flat-rate monthly bill, then maybe net neutrality isn't for you.

At that, and let me press this issue just for kicks, our internet is more expensive and slower than it is in other first-world countries. Simply put, this gives them a huge advantage in a global market. Countries which put in place faster, cheaper broadband are going to have more competitive companies, better educated workers, and more tech-savvy consumers. Allowing our telecoms to charge us more money isn't going to do anything to improve that situation.

dbg 4 months ago

I wish that were the only focus. But the result will be to remove any possible revenue models for the backbone providers. Absent that, they will abandon the business. The govt will have to step in with the other foot (like those other countries you talk about) and nationalize the backbone. Then you'll see some real "special interest" perversions.

dbg 4 months ago

and for Tony- you prove my point exactly. I never said anyone would stop USING the Internet. I predict that the backbone vendors who built and support the Internet will stop doing so. Demand is high because everything currently works well. Remove the opportunity for competitive business models and those vendors will will abandon supporting it.

Please, someone, show me who will maintain and expand a neutered Internet. (my suspicions: govt nationalization, more taxes, and some really serious special-interest-perversions. You thought big business was planning to screw you; wait till the govt controls everything...)

pangasamaneesh 3 months ago

Dar,

I'm sorry to tell you this but your wrong about Net Neutrality. Net Neutrality is essential -- by the way we've had Net Neutrality before - it is the principle of an open democratic Internet where anyone can go online and connect freely with others (it is a principle to prevent ISPs from blocking online access to certain services) we had Net Neutrality prior to 2005 when the Bush FCC made the error of stripping the Internet of this basic protection for the Internet. Net Neutrality makes sure you can connect to everyone else on the Internet -- now the Obama FCC is making the right choice in restoring this principle to protect this openness. In fact, their taking Net Neutrality a step further than it previously existed making it apply to wireless networks and wireless devices. As it should be when you on the web whether through wireline or wireless connections we should have the same openness on the Internet.

We face a challenge from ISPs though that want to preserve and extend their legacy of closed/proprietary technology systems like cable TV to the Internet -- thanks to the Internet's openness we have been able to reclaim the media for the public. Whether Republican or Democrat all Americans should support a democratic open Internet. This is not about govt control of Internet but preventing corporations from slowing down or blocking our Internet.

An open Internet is a great town square for the public where free speech is safe a closed Internet without Net Neutrality where big cable and phone companies restrict what we can do online could censor free speech. Big ISPs decide what's on, how much it costs, and how fast it downloads. That is not the type of Internet I signed up for or want. I want equal Internet -- everyone should have equal access to the Internet.

Today Internet can be used for watching television, placing phone calls (think Skype, and Vonage), reading news and information, communicating via email and instant messaging all freely. Without Net Neutrality cable companies would like to stop their Internet customers from downloading video off the web from even legal competing services like Apple's iTunes Store or accessing YouTube etc. Cable companies may privilege their own TV service offerings over rival online offerings. Instead of improving their infrastructure, expanding bandwidth, and speeding up our connections they want to slowdown our connections and restrict our Internet usage.

We have always had Net Neutrality -- the debate to save it or kill it started after the Bush FCC in 2005 made the regrettable mistake of gutting Net Neutrality protections that existed at the time for an open Internet. Now we're fighting to get those protections back and seem to be succeeding.

Before former President Bush entered office we had 30 + years (under both Republican and Democratic U.S. Presidents) of pro competition, pro innovation rules to keep the Internet open. AT&T (Ma Bell) was forced to be broken up for a reason to create competition in the broadband Internet access market and policies mandating that competition remain to prevent mega mergers like we've seen since former President Bush came to office in 2001 were in effect. When Bush entered office the U.S. was 4th worldwide in terms of broadband Internet penetration -- thanks to deregulation, mega-mergers etc we have less competition, consumer choices and innovation now -- also the U.S. has slipped way behind other countries in adopting broadband Internet and have a digital divide in this country where usually urban rich areas have Internet and poor rural areas lack Internet access. Even when people in rural areas want Internet they'll often find there is no provider in their area for high speed Internet or they provide sub par service and there are no other choices for better service.

If we close the digital divide we can create millions of new clean high tech jobs for the future that will help the economy especially now given the high unemployment we have. Net Neutrality is necessary for a democratic open Internet.

jack.e.givens 1 month ago

I do not see the supporting arguments to support the suposition that the current system allows large ISP to stop the creation of new smaller ones.

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