Net Neutrality-How it Would Affect You

I became aware of net neutrality as an issue last summer. At the time, I didn't understand what new FCC rules concerning the issue would mean for me as someone who surfs the web. Now I do understand why the FCC wants to consider new rules. It's for ordinary web surfers who use their favorite search engines to find web sites of their choice. These new rules would protect us by not allowing our ISP the ability to put up roadblocks denying us access to Internet phone service, websites or search engines.

The FCC has voted unanimously to consider proposed rules over net neutrality which are designed to make sure broadband signals remain open to all websites, Internet phone service and search engines for all of us. As it stands now, our Internet service providers could block access to sites we want to go to by giving us a weak signal that would make a website or search engine load so slowly that we give up and switch to a different search engine or go to a different website. Anyone who works online, spends a little or a lot of time researching or browsing would be affected and we should be concerned because it could dramatically hamper our ability to move around the Internet.

The issue of net neutrality begins with your ISP. If your service provider made a sweet deal with a search engine other than Google, they could block your access to Google by giving you a weak signal. You would go to another search engine without ever knowing your cable company created the weak signal in order to direct you to an engine of their choice because of a financial incentive for them. Your ISP could block the signal to your Internet phone which would cause you to switch to one with a stronger and better signal. Again, because your telecom company had a deal with another online phone company. A big company might want access blocked to certain online news sites in an attempt to get traffic to the news site of their choice, not yours. Our freedom of speech could be infringed upon if someone or some company wanted to push their political agenda by blocking access to political web sites or news organizations you want to visit that has a different viewpoint. This is how our Internet usage could be manipulated by telecom companies and big corporations who want the ability to slow down or block access to web sites we choose. Net neutrality guidelines would not allow companies to take away our choices in web browsing and would help create transparency and protection for us.

Right now, we all enjoy equal access and unlimited freedom to move around the web as much as we want. We can visit any web site, news organization, read any article or watch any Utube video we desire. Telecom companies want Congress to block the FCC from making rules about net neutrality and have been lobbying mainly Republican lawmakers to allow corporations and telecom companies the right to deny or limit access to parts of the Internet that aren't in their best commercial interests. They want to be able to decide for us which sites we can and can not go to if those websites have no financial incentives for them. Net neutrality rules are designed to protect ordinary Americans from unfair practices by big business.

John McCain has introduced a bill called the Internet Freedom Act of 2009 which in reality takes Internet users freedom of choice away. McCain's bill if passed, would not allow the FCC to do their job of regulating the Internet or telecom companies in any way, shape or form. The word "freedom" in McCain's bill is not meant for Internet users, it's meant for big business to have the freedom to manipulate the Internet for their own financial gains. McCain's argument is by allowing the FCC to regulate telecom and cable companies, the government is over stepping their authority and trying to essentially shut down big business and the free market. However, without net neutrality and FCC rules to keep these companies from blocking or denying our access to websites, we would be at the mercy of a monopoly out of control. We would be hit with Internet options by our ISP that would allow access depending on the plan we picked and would more than likely result in higher cable bills for Internet users. It should be noted that John McCain has been the largest recipient of campaign donations from telecom companies.

Net neutrality would prevent telecom and cable companies from discrimination, censorship and blocking access to Internet users. As it stands right now, we can go anywhere we want online. If FCC guidelines and rules concerning net neutrality are successfully blocked, the websites we will be able to visit online could be determined by someone other than us. Net neutrality is a good thing for Internet users that would keep equal and unlimited access in our hands and not in the hands of corporations.

Tony Bradley, PC World, McCain Moves to Block FCC Net Neutrality, PCWorld

Net Neutrality, Common Cause

Bill Moyers, Net Neutrality, Moyers on America, PBS.org