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Net neutrality refers to the idea that internet traffic must be treated equally. The idea behind net neutrality is that no internet service provider (ISPs) has the power of favoring one source over another through throttling, blocking, or paid prioritization (Ganley, & Allgrove, 2006). Open internet service assists teams everywhere, from the doctors in the developing countries to communities that require important medical information for patient treatment. The lack of a leveled playing field means most people will have access to opportunity and knowledge while others will not. This is not particularly fair. Net neutrality is an important element in assisting everyone plays as a team.

Net Neutrality in the United States

In the United States of America, net neutrality where ISP provides are required to treat all information on the internet the same, has been an issue of contention between the access providers and network users. The main issue is the way Internet Service providers should be grouped in the 1934 Communications Act. The issues of classification are whether the internet providers should be Title two of the common carrier services or Title One of the information services. These classifications impact the Federal Communications Commission’s FCC) power over the internet service providers. The FCC will have significant power of regulating ISPs when classified under Title Two Common carriers. However, they will have reduced control when these ISPs are grouped under Title One. In 2005, FCC used the principles of network neutrality that focused on the preservation and promotion of the open and vibrant character of the internet with the telecommunications entering the marketplace. The net neutrality in the United Kingdom and India compare varies significantly to the policies used in the United States of America. This graph shows net neutrality in the U.S.

Net Neutrality in India

On 8^th February 2016, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRA) prohibited different pricing methods of data services. According to the press release of the TRA, the regulators were given many responses that considered the opinions in line with the consultation paper. From these responses, the regulator decided on having a regulation instead of a case study of tariff investigation. The decision by the TRA was giving the participants in the industry the much-required certainty. The ruling prohibited any provider of services from charging or offering discriminatory tariffs for the data services on content (Prasad, 2018). The ruling also prohibited any contract or agreement that could have an impact of discriminatory tariffs for the data services or help the service provider in ways of evading regulation. It also specified financial disincentives that contravened the regulations. The Indian government agreed to new regulations that supported net neutrality. These regulations are the strongest rules on net neutrality because they guarantee open and free internet for almost five hundred million citizens. The rules are also expected to help with the culture of innovation and startups. The figure below shows the net neutrality in India.

Net Neutrality in the United Kingdom

Compared to the United States, the debate about net neutrality is one that is not hugely considered in the United Kingdom. The officials believe this concept links to the open internet idea because neutrality is only used in American politics. While it is almost a non-issue in the United Kingdom, there is a defining trait in the debate on neutrality since the arguments are defined by the regulators. These arguments are also influenced by the discourse of other European countries. Many discussions in the United Kingdom are focused on the open internet. In 2007, Plusnet was integral in the deep packet inspection for the implementation of limits and differential charges for file transfer protocol, online game traffic, and peer-to-peer (Powell, & Cooper, 2011). Still, the philosophy on network management was clear for every package sold and was constant for the different websites.

Net Neutrality in China

The approach of the People Republic of China does not consider Net Neutrality because the government utilizes ISPs in inspecting and regulating the content that is made available to the citizens. The government blocks both domestic and foreign sites that they wish to censor within their country, using hardware and software that is referred to as the “Great Firewall.” Most of these sites are listed in the blacklist of the firewall because they offer data that the government cannot permanently and effectively change. Since the nation was established in 1949, there has been great effort aimed at the manipulation of data flow and preventing the distribution of perceptions that are critical of the government or deviate from the official party view of the Communist party. After internet technology was introduced in the mid-1990s, there were major challenges for the government to exert control over news sources and public opinion. While there has been rapid development of the internet, increased access to news and improved mass communication in the country, most forms of mass media and online access are stifled. China has one of the most complex regimes that filter the internet globally. The Chinese government uses difficult methods for the limitation of online content.

Other countries approach the topic so different from us, so learning and researching. I see that the ideal outcome for net neutrality is giving fair access to everyone because the internet is a basic human right. The internet has become a basic right for everyone, from having to work with it and having to deal with school too. So repealing net neutrality will become a big problem, for everyone in the United States. Talking to our congressmen can always help and having faster internet can be so much better too.

 

 

Blog #2

The debate of net neutrality is still ongoing in our government, they can’t seem to agree to just one decision. Net neutrality would fall in the legislative branch as it restores the rules adopted by FCC. Since Net neutrality is a still outgoing debate, both sides of congress can’t really decide on just one law for it, one side wants to control the internet, but the other side seems to want freedom for the internet as it should be a right to have.

Net neutrality is one area that is yet to be actually decided on, as the senate keeps trying to pass different laws but never making past the congress as both the democrats and republicans can’t decide. As the democrats came up with Save the Internet Act of 2019, which was an act to help stop the abusing companies who are trying to get you to pay more for access that shouldn’t be different. The republicans don’t like the idea of them, but it seems it’s just not being passed because of a rivalry. My idea of saving net neutrality is to make a system where the internet and access to anything type of media should be a free right. Passing a law like this is to actually contact your congressmen since it seems that the reason, we can’t have an actual act is because they can’t decide on just one reason. Many reasons why the representatives really haven’t passed any actual laws that everyone agrees on is mainly because they don’t actually understand what net neutrality is, they don’t actually know that they helping citizens have their own free will to the net.

A legislature bill would be the way to go, as we want to make a proposal on how to finally end this debate. Making a proposal to accomplish the enactment of the legislature that will have a good benefit on our community and society, we can stop letting big corporate companies who only want more money and control how fast our speed could be in some areas. If congress wants voters to actually vote they need to actually learn what this actually means, that net neutrality will benefit everyone. Protesting is to ensure that everyone has a voice and by protesting we can pass a legislature bill faster, let them know that we are serious about this.

            The one thing why many don’t want to actually follow a plan is because many congressmen would be awarded by the big companies, they rather go against net neutrality something that benefits their voters. AT&T, Verizon, and other companies award them for not actually voting for it, the congressmen would lose election money. So, money is a big reason why we still don’t have net neutrality, a big monopoly. Many bills have made it to the senate but never actually make it passed the congress,

            I would pass a legislature bill to congress, making a proposal to our congress, letting them know that we do care about our control over the internet. As suggesting a plan like that we could get many people to actually protest and let our congressmen that we will stop voting for them, knowing that they will have fewer voters. The reason why the house will not pass an actual bill is that the difference of parties, the republicans don’t want to follow an act that the democrats actually tried to pass. The other reason could be because of the money many congressmen would lose from the big corporate companies that give them money for the elections.

 

Mariela Martinez

Professor Tom Haymes

Government 2305

September 22, 2019

The Issues in Net Neutrality

Net neutrality is the system that all type of internet providers should be equal no matter the source or destination. Many still have yet to really understand the real meaning of what net neutrality actually means, they hear net neutrality and automatically you think that is actually a bad thing. We need to let people know what it really means, explain to them that net neutrality is such a big thing that affects us all. Explain how regulating our internet access would only benefit the providers and not the consumers. If we can explain how this whole system works, we can help them learn, once they learn that it can affect them, they can get up and vote for someone who would help the consumer.

In the concept map we are adding different recourses where they are with or against net neutrality. The websites we are looking at give the different views on what people want to hear, like Fox news articles are likely to side with the republicans who are against the net neutrality. Also, CNN news can show you the other side of the topic which can side with democrats who are with net neutrality. Democrats want to help pass that law that was originally made by ex-president Obama, it benefits their voters and knowing that their voters would benefit from it, they can get their votes.

In 2018, a big topic about net neutrality came up in social media, people started to debate about the topic. I read from this article that many had never even heard about net neutrality till they started to see the debates on Twitter, as many tried to understand the actual meaning they saw that the correct way was to follow they ones they believe were right. Social media is the way to show people what they should know about important topics that are becoming laws that are being passed because the only one’s voting is the ones who care, social media made the topic about net neutrality rise and trend. Many starting to believe that net neutrality could never affect them because they don’t use social media or the internet but not realizing that their cable and tv providers would be in effect too.

We want to show the voters and younger generations that once net neutrality is gone is going to affect us all, having to pay plans to get internet in different apps and websites. Paying extra for faster internet in some apps and maybe even ones you don’t even need but because it is in the plan is going to be included. The FCC wants to block net neutrality for companies to have the freedom of wanting to take more from the consumer. What people really have to do is get out and vote, research the candidates because it can benefit you and your community. The votes matter when it benefits net neutrality because we all want to be able to use the internet easily with not having to resist other apps.

The image above is an example of net neutrality. If the law of net neutrality was gone, it would split into different lanes as the fast lanes could be a specific app like Instagram is going to be faster than the slow lane that could be twitter.

Companies have avoided net neutrality before and have actually stopped. This article helps you explain why many companies like Verizon and AT&T have done things that go against net neutrality like AT&T blocked apps like skype in the early 2000s, and Verizon protecting ISIS which was a mobile payment system but ended up canceling it. Comcast was caught injecting commands on user’s internet services, they broke many rules which got them caught by the FCC by violating the Internet Policy Statement. In the article The Verge you can read about this company and many more that have violated the rules of net neutrality. Both companies were stopped for violating the terms, but it could happen again if net neutrality isn’t something in our minds that this is as important as other issues too. The absence of all these rules and violations on the open internet can become more and more common in our society if we don’t do anything to stop it.

In conclusion, the topic of net neutrality is a big topic because we all benefit because we are all the consumers and could become victims of companies. The plan is to speak more about the rules that companies keep wanting to brake and see that we have the right of equal access to the internet, have sponsors explaining to everyone in social media. Exposing all this to social media, to people who still don’t understand the right for equal access to the internet because.