CASE STUDY QUESTIONS

1. What is net neutrality? Why has the Internet operated under net
neutrality up to this point?

Net neutrality is the idea that Internet service providers must allow
customers equal access to content and applications, regardless of the
source or nature of the content.

The Internet is neutral, all Internet traffic is treated equally on a first-

come, first-served basis by Internet backbone owners. However, this
agreement prevents telecommunications and cable companies from
charging differentiated prices based on the amount of bandwidth
consumed by content transmitted over the Internet.
Therefore, all data and information must be provided at the same level
and telecommunications companies cannot block content or reduce the
speed of certain Internet traffic.

2. Who’s in favor of net neutrality? Who’s opposed? Why?

The neutrality advocates includes MoveOn.org; the Electronic Frontier

Foundation; the Christian Coalition; the American Library Association;
data-intensive web businesses such as Netflix, Amazon, and Google.
Net neutrality advocates argue that differentiated impose heavy costs on
heavy bandwidth users such as YouTube, Skype, and other innovative
services, preventing high-bandwidth start-up companies from gaining
traction. Net neutrality supporters also argue that without net neutrality,
ISPs that are also cable companies, such as Comcast, might block
online streaming video from Netflix or Hulu to force customers to use the
cable company’s on-demand movie rental services.

And those who oppose net neutrality are dissatisfied consumers who
could simply switch to providers that enforce net neutrality and allow
unlimited use of the Internet.
3. What would be the impact on individual users, businesses, and
government if Internet providers switched to a tiered service model
for transmission over landlines as well as wireless?

The adaptation of tiered service model would have a greater impact on

individual and businesses. The use of internet for leisure purposes would
dramatically decrease due to high cost. Individuals would use internet
only when they really need it. Now a days businesses have based their
computing on cloud resources. They would have to look for another
method of computing infrastructure instead of cloud computing
infrastructure.

US internet service is already behind many other developed nations with

respect to internet speed, cost and quality of service. Switching to tiered
service model would mean another blow to the already behind US
internet service from the point of view of individual users

4. It has been said that net neutrality is the most important issue
facing the Internet since the advent of the Internet. Discuss the
implications of this statement.

5. Are you in favor of legislation enforcing network neutrality? Why or

why not?
 REFERENCES

BBC News Mundo. (2017, 14 diciembre). Qué es la neutralidad de Internet y por qué

importa que Estados Unidos haya acabado con ella. BBC News Mundo.

https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-42347631

Miller, C. C. (2014, 30 octubre). Why the U.S. has fallen behind in internet speed and

affordability. The New York Times.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/31/upshot/why-the-us-has-fallen-behind-in-

internet-speed-and-affordability.html?_r=0

Johnson, S. (2017, 25 enero). What would be the impact on individual users, businesses,

and government if internet providers switched to a tiered service model?

https://www.coursebb.com/2017/01/25/impact-individual-users-businesses-

government-internet-providers-switched-tiered-service-model/

NAMES:

Lorena Torres

Andrés Sacristán

Sara Barragan