The Battle for Net Neutrality Last January 14, 2014, a Washington D.C. court ruled out the Federal Communications Commission’s regulation on Open Internet or more popularly known as net neutrality. The decision on the case sparked debate between those fighting for net neutrality and the companies who want to take advantage of the internet’s popularity. This was a victory for Verizon, an Internet Service Provider, and other companies like it.
In her article, Net Not Free for All, Aviva Rutkin writes that “information will no longer be free, but governed by the whims of big business” (Rutkin 24). She is right. These big companies will be able to make more profit by charging for faster service. And, on the other hand, the verdict is considered a loss for internet-based companies, especially start-up businesses, who will have to pay to keep the quality of their products up or it will lead to decline in customers therefore losing more profit. Sooner or later, this power play will affect the regular internet users who will end up paying more to use specific services that will require high-speed connection. Net neutrality contributed to the world’s modernization, protected internet users’ rights and kept business opportunities equal for both small and big companies therefore it is important that it is re-established and maintained.
The principle of net neutrality has been present since the internet was invented in 1989. In a video posted on The Guardian, Tim Berners-Lee, creator of the World Wide Web, spoke about how he had created the internet to be an “open, neutral system” (“World”). And, with that in mind, the Federal Communications Commission adopted the Open Internet Rules. This was set to ensure that the World Wide Web “remains a. .urn, users will continue to enjoy its vast services.
Works CitedBerners-Lee, Tim. “World Wide Web Inventor Tim Berners-Lee: ‘Establish Web’s Principles of Openness and Privacy'” Interview. The Guardian. N.p., 12 Mar.
2014. Web. 29 Mar. 2014.Progue, David. “The Great Net Debate.
” Scientific American 310.4 (2014): 36. Academic Search Complete. Web. 29 Mar. 2014.
Rutkin, Aviva. “Net Not Free For All”. New Scientist 221.2954 (2014): 24. Academic Search Complete. Web.
29 Mar. 2014.”The Open Internet.” Federal Communications Commission. N.p.
, n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2014.Verizon v.
Federal Communications Commission. US Court of Appeals D.C. Circuit Website. United States Court of Appeals For The District of Columbia. 14 Jan.
2014. Web. 29 Mar. 2014.Wyatt, Edward and Cohen, Noam. “Comcast and Netflix Reach Deal on Service.
” The New York Times 24 February 2014: B1. Print.
