The Net Neutrality supporters just won’t give up in their attempt to make the Internet the same type of public utility as the 1940’s phone system. Here’s Andrew Zwicker, an assemblyman and Democrat in New Jersey giving it a shot, and, you just have to wonder what’s in it for people like Andrew
N.J. and Congress must stop internet providers from blocking content you want | Opinion
Last spring in the Statehouse, many of my colleagues and I were working hard to pass net neutrality legislation here in New Jersey. Over 30 states have similar bills pending, and three states have already passed their own version of net neutrality rules.
Under net neutrality, when consumers pay an internet service provider (ISP) a monthly fee for accessing the internet, whether it is to check email, watch a movie, post a photo with friends on social media, or research a topic, they are in control, not the ISP.
Last year, however, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) changed the rules and allowed ISPs to engage in content-based discrimination, specifically, speeding up, slowing down, or blocking access to lawful online content based on the ISPs’ political view or business interests.
There have been claims emerging throughout the country of ISP’s throttling their customer’s internet connection. Whether it was the slowing down of Skype calls, a FaceTime video chat, or even more recently, a slowed internet connection used by emergency responders during the worst fire in California’s history, each of these examples clearly shows the critical demand for the internet to remain free and open.
In fact, most, if not all of these claims involved consumers going over their allotted highspeed bandwith. For instance, the firefighters plan they signed up for gave them unlimited Internet, but only 25gb of highspeed. They went over that. Many people have wireless phone plans that work exactly like this. The Obama era Net Neutrality would not have stopped this.
I wish we didn’t have to take the time to address this common-sense issue, but unfortunately the FCC has taken this anti-consumer position against the wishes of a clear majority of Americans.
Right. Like it’s pro-consumer putting the government in charge of the Internet much like the wired phone system. How much innovation was done? Very little. It wasn’t till regulation was massively eased that things started to really change in the late 1980’s. The wireless phone system sure wouldn’t be were it is with all that regulation.
As a science educator, I’ve seen first-hand how important an open internet is to intellectual growth, discovery, and the free exchange of ideas. If internet service providers are allowed to discriminate against content based on ability to pay, small businesses and community organizations will find it difficult to compete with websites and apps that have the financial power to pay for internet fast lanes.
That’s interesting, considering how often Left-leaning companies are censoring Conservatives. Regardless, Net Neutrality would not stop that, either. Nor will it stop content from being withheld. Look at television. Do you want the NFL package? You have to get DirectTV. No one else has it. Want the NHL package? You won’t get it on AT&T’s Uverse.
None of the arguments matter. None of what the supporters say matters. Because this is all about their typical belief of Government being great and wanting Government in charge.
William Teach: For instance, the firefighters plan they signed up for gave them unlimited Internet, but only 25gb of highspeed. They went over that. Many people have wireless phone plans that work exactly like this. The Obama era Net Neutrality would not have stopped this.
That’s correct. However, if the ISP provided a general limit of 25 GB, but allowed their preferred movie provider unlimited high speed, while throttling competitors, then that is when net neutrality has an effect.
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