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Network Neutrality-To Stay or Go?
Network Neutrality-To Stay or Go?
Network Neutrality-To Stay or Go?
The face of the Internet is changing. From the basic applications and the
repository of information it is fast becoming a platform for diverse pursuits
and activities. There has been increasing speculation about the outcomes
resulting from the tussle over allocation of spectrum for wireless services.
Whatever the result, the ramifications will be felt throughout the world. It has
been felt that the network neutrality principle would be threatened by this
move. The telecom companies are lobbying for levying surcharges on content
providers that are not their retail customers; prioritizing data packet delivery
based on the ownership affiliation of the content, or the source or destination
of the content; as well as building a new “fast lane” online that consigns
Internet content and applications to a relatively slow, bandwidth-starved
portion of the broadband connection. So should the unspoken yet accepted
law of network neutrality go or should the Internet remain as it is today?
Mr A I feel that the Internet today enjoys the popularity that it does simply
because it does not make the user feel hindered at any step in his virtual
journey. However, I do feel that if the journey itself starts only after one has
bought a ticket and that too with certain complexities involved the charm of
the exploration will wear off. It has always been felt that the remarkable
social impact and economic success of the Internet is in many ways directly
attributable to the architectural features that were part of its initial design. The
Internet was calculated to be an entity with no gatekeepers over new content
or services. Experts often feel that the great strides made in this sector are
because of allowing the contributors to work unhindered for its growth rather
than attributing centrality to the controlling features. Consequently, the
Internet has created a platform for innovation. This has led to an upsurge of
step ups—from VoIP to wi-fi, to blogging—many innovations that might
never have evolved if the regulations had been far more pronounced. I really
think that network neutrality needs to stay and there is no need for changing
the scenario drastically.
Miss D One major likelihood is that the telecom companies would move
on to create a two tiered ‘pipeline’, where the paid for priority data gets a
faster movement and the low priority data may be sidelined depending solely
on the discretion of the provider. An individual’s favourite Website may be
relegated to the Internet’s slow lane if the companies that run its backbone
network have their way. Proposed services from telecommunications and
cable companies would let ISPs and other Web businesses pay extra to
receive preferential treatment for their data packets, carrying everything from
video to music to text over the Internet. Such packet prioritization would
deliver a richer experience to the visitors of that particular site—a valuable
perk for high-bandwidth services like streaming video. Prioritizing content
based on type—meaning a quick, uninterrupted data flow, such as streaming
media—is supported by both consumers and content providers. The good part
is that such services will give incentives to the telecom and cable firms—by
giving them a new revenue stream—to upgrade their networks, which will
boost overall service quality.
Mr A I really do not think that charging and such two-tier system by the
telecom companies is justified. The very scheme goes against a basic tenet of
the Internet, that all packets are treated equally. At this point in time the
Internet now allows information to move in data packets through networks of
computers and routers on a “best efforts basis”. In other words, the system
routes packets with little regard for what type of information or applications
they contain or who created them. There are apprehensions that prioritization
will allow established firms with deep pockets to position the virtual deck
against smaller, yet potential rivals. Also, businesses already pay for
bandwidth, therefore the extra charges are nothing but double-billing.