Net Neutrality: What it means

Ok, I know alot of you don't really understand the concept of Net Neutrality, so I'll try to give you a primer on how the system works.

ISP's (Internet Service Providers) such as Comcast, Suddenlink, Verizon and Time Warner handle all of the information that flows to and from your computer or phone. As such, they know where each bit of information comes from and where it's going.

Right now, they aren't allowed to do anything with that knowledge. They have to treat every bit just like every other bit. Whether that bit comes from Netflix, Microsoft or that little store down the street makes no difference. THAT is the 'Neutrality' in the phrase.

If the new regulations go into effect, the ISP's will be permitted to start segregating those bits. If Netflix pays a fee, their bits will get priority and everyone else's will just have to wait.

You see, bandwidth is a zero sum game. There is only so much to go around, so in order to speed someone up, someone else HAS to be slowed down. The only way to fix that is to build more of it. That costs money, but charging for priority access to a limited network MAKES money. You can see which one the ISP's would prefer. Google and Amazon have been the prime movers behind killing Net Neutrality. They want more bandwidth and this is the only way they can get it.

Something few people think about is the course that their data takes on the internet. From your computer, it goes to your ISP. From there, it goes through many systems, all owned by OTHER ISP's, until it reaches the ISP of the website that you want and then to the website itself. After all, websites typically need to buy their own access. While Google might be able to build their own portal onto the internet, pretty much everyone else has to use an ISP just like you do. Under the rule of Net Neutrality, that's the end of the story.

Under the new rules, something else happens.

If a website wants to avoid the slow lane, they have to negotiate a deal with their ISP. Simple, right? Not so much, because then they have to negotiate deals with EVERY OTHER ISP that their data will travel through.

Nobody, except the really big boys, will be able to afford that.

The end result? The little guys go out of business, leaving the giants to provide everything on the internet. It harkens back to the early days of TV. Many companies tried to get into the business, but we ended up with only the Big Three. If you wanted to watch, you watched NBC, ABC or CBS.

That is the future of the web without Net Neutrality. If you want something on the net, you'll have a very small pool of sources. Fewer sources mean higher prices. That's just how it works.

Whew, that ended up longer than I thought it would. A bit. If you made it this far, then congratulations! Hopefully, you now have a better idea what's at stake here.

Go do something about it.