Net Neutrality
When googling the term net neutrality is says that it is "the principle that Internet service providers should enable access to all content and applications regardless of the source, and without favoring or blocking particular products or websites." After doing some research I learned that there are many people who are for and against net neutrality. In 2015 the Federal Communications Commissioner, under the Obama Administration came up with rules and regulations for net neutrality and imposed them on consumers. "Internet Service Providers, or ISPs—AT&T, Verizon, and other companies that lay the cable that goes to your house—are basically monopolies like your typical utility company. To prevent abuse of this position, Net Neutrality rules prohibited them from charging websites different prices no matter how much or how little bandwidth they use. "
This meant that the government would allow cable companies such as AT&T and Verizon to not be able to have the bundles and packages for internet usage, but instead have it all set to the same price. It would mean that no matter how little and how much internet we use we all would have to pay the same amount instead of having different prices for different people. However, "those rules were rescinded in 2018 when the FCC rolled back the Obama-era regulation under the principle that innovation would be much more likely to happen if the government got out of the way. In other words, the FCC returned the internet to its pre-2015, pre-Net Neutrality state."
After digesting all the information I gathered I began to see two sides to the net neutrality debate. I can see both the pros and cons for it. The pros being that we all would have equal access to the apps, sites, and content we choose regardless of the source that it comes from. One of cons being ISPs can block apps or sites that we use if it isn't favored by them. Another thing was that all people would be paying the same amount for their internet, there would be no bundles or packages and all of the internet that we use would be at the same price.
I started thinking to how this would effect society. I think there would be people who both would hate it and love it. It would affect the rich and poor because everyone would be charged the same amount for their internet usage. So, I began to think what if the price would be too high for someone who is use to a lower bundle would that then mean that they wouldn't be able to get any internet at all because they won't be able to afford the set price everyone has to pay? That same questions I was thinking for people who were rich and poor applied to all the other demographics I could think. If a person who is older and doesn't use that much of online content would be forced to pay the same amount for someone who uses just about anything on the internet, would this be something that an older person would want if they don't really use apps, email, or any other online content?
If we were net neutral we all would have equal access to the apps and content that we would want and that any of the ISPs would not be able to block what sites or apps we use. We would have complete freedom on the internet without ISPs forcing anything onto what we are doing. Many people argue that by not having net neutrality it is a way of taking away our first amendment, the freedom of speech.
sources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=297&v=aiZ8xwwycXA&feature=emb_title
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/net-neutrality-good-bad_n_5a396d07e4b0860bf4ab9e6f
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Net_neutrality
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