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Tuesday, June 27, 2006 |
There is a lot of confusion about the issue of 'net neutrality'. On the one hand it seems natural that everyone has a right to an internet connection. But who is 'everyone'? Is it us? Or is it the big corporations like Microsoft, Google, Yahoo, Amazon and eBay? In that case would 'neutrality' mean they have the right to block anyone they don't want to connect?
WashingtonPost: "Net neutrality, which is shorthand for network neutrality, is one of two possible answers to the following legislative question: Should cable and telephone companies be allowed to charge add-on fees to others for access to their networks?
At its heart, then, the battle is commercial - over who pays how much for improvements to the Internet that we all use and sometimes love.
[The contra party says]: 'The so-called 'net neutrality' provisions would [take] control away from consumers and [put] government in the role of predicting the future of the Internet.'
[The pro party]: 'The big phone and cable companies convinced the FCC to give them control over the Internet.' The pro-net-neutrality group is called It's Our Net. Its funding is provided by such big online firms as Amazon.com Inc., eBay Inc., Microsoft, Google and Yahoo Inc."
The only thing I know is that I don't want anyone to decide what I publish and I want a connection at an affordable price. In this fight between two lobbies, the cable companies who want more money and the internet giants, it seems the better choice for the customer is to go with the 'net neutrality' camp.
11:56:42 AM 
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© Copyright 2006 Hetty Litjens.
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