Net neutrality is the principle that says all information flowing across the Internet should be treated equally. But with more people streaming data-rich video and playing online games, the Internet faces congestion concerns. Should carriers be able to sell multi-tiered access to heavy users? Should sites that generate massive traffic -- like Google and Yahoo! -- pay extra fees? The U.S. Government is examining Net Neutrality and its financial, legal and social implications. Do we need federal intervention to ensure fairness, or is this an issue for the market to work out?
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Should the Government Regulate Net Neutrality?
Net neutrality is a stalking horse for government controlled internet
The groups pushing for net neutrality are just using that concept as a way to gain acceptance for the idea of removing private corporations' control of the Internet's infrastructure. At heart these groups are really statists ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statist ). They think that government( a liberal government only) control of the Internet is the only acceptable method of managing what they are pushing as a utility necessary to human rights.
I subscribe to the Cato Institutes take on this - keep government's fingers out of the pie or we will have a real mess on our hands. http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/beware-the-unintended-consequences-of-regulation
- tkjunkmail
August 31, 2008 3:46PM
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Side: No
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Beware of any Single Power, not just the Government
I think it's wise to consider the wisdom of getting the government involved in traditionally private business dealings. The end result usually is less free, less efficient, and -- as you said -- a real mess.
Freedom and efficiency are the results of good choices and a strong market. It's not government that makes something bad, it's the lack of consumer choice and consumer influence that occurs when government gets involved that makes it bad. All the power is held by that single entity.
The single entity can also be an insurance company used by your employer, a cartel of oil companies that behave as one, a cell phone company that locks you into a long contract -- these create the same limits on freedom and efficiency as government control can.
I support Network Neutrality on broadband because I see the competitive landscape continue to contract. AT&T just bought SBC, Comcast took over Insight and wants even more, both Telcos and CableCos go lawsuit-happy whenever a 3rd-party wants to intrude onto "their" territory, and they even fight each-other for trying to reach one-another's customers. About a fourth of us have only Cable as a provider choice, about a fourth of us has DSL or FIOS, about a fourth of us fortunately have both to choose between, and about a fourth of us has no provider at all.
Most of us are stuck with a single provider -- the single power.
Network Neutrality isn't a government take-over. It's a check-and-balance against abuse by a monopolistic power. The moment it threatens to grow to become a take-over, I'll be on your side of this argument.
Given the choice to leave the protection of our Internet freedoms in the hands of a single and powerful for-profit company -- or have it double-checked by a government by, for, and of the people -- I'm okay with some reasonable Network Neutrality.provisions.
- Robb Topolski
August 31, 2008 5:35PM
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Side: Yes
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we already suffer from FCC intervention
Why would the CATO institute ignore the premise that the FCC has already breached the public trust by handing out territorial exclusives to many of the companies?
This isn't about government regulation, that horse has already been beaten. The "exclusive" territorial regulations need to be repealed, and competition needs to be made available to the customer. Until then, can groups like CATO stop giving out misdirected recommendations.
Even many of the republicans see what is broken about the "regulations" the FCC has put in place.
We already have a government regulation created mess on our hands.
- tomcat2200
September 14, 2008 12:25AM
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Side: Yes
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