A Simple Explanation of Net Neutrality

Here’s the current scenario:

A website operator pays for a connection to the Internet. They can choose between different speeds and bandwidth amounts that they want/can afford.

A consumer buys a connection to the Internet, they can choose between different speeds and bandwidth amounts that they want/can afford.

If the consumer has a 5meg connection (don’t be concerned with the definition of “5meg” at this point.) and a website has a 5meg connection, they should be communicating at 5meg (minus any network overhead or other technical issues like that).

Here’s what AT&T and Verizon want:

A website operator pays for a connection to the Internet. They can choose between different speeds and bandwidth amounts that they want/can afford.

A consumer buys a connection to the Internet, they can choose between different speeds and bandwidth amounts that they want/can afford.

If the consumer has a 5meg connection (don’t be concerned with the definition of “5meg” at this point.) and a website has a 5meg connection, they should be communicating at 5meg (minus any network overhead or other technical issues like that). Unless the consumer’s Internet service provider (ISP) has decided to “prioritize” sites that pay an extra fee (the ISP’s ISP could do the same). In that case the consumer’s 5meg connection is only 5meg for organizations that have paid a fee to allow the consumer to use it. What did the consumer pay for?

Would you be comfortable with a telephone service that would connect you to whomever you want, but anyone who pays a premium fee to the telephone company, or a telephone company between yours and theirs, would have better sound quality? The better sound quality capacity is there, but whoever you’re calling has to pay a fee for the “prioritized” service. Also, you may not get through if there aren’t enough lines available after the “prioritized” traffic.

AT&T and Verizon want to tell us where to go on the Internet. Maybe we should tell them were to go.