Source: Fast Company: visit FastCompany.com
The FCC Eliminated Net Neutrality – What Does it Mean?
The FCC recently voted 3-2 to eliminate the Net Neutrality rules put in place by the previous administration. Whether you agree or dis-agree with the move, two things are certain.
- The power to control content distribution and how viewers will see this content, is now solely the purview of the ISP providers.
- The new ruling will be debated in court cases for the near future.It is the opinion of C@PSTONE the elimination of Net Neutrality could have serious negative impacts on consumers ability to access content and data via the internet.
Possible outcomes of net neutrality:
– bundling of content – think cable channels – you’ll for “channels” you don’t want and more for the content you do want
– fast lanes which favor those who can pay more and have the leverage to negotiate better pricing
– exclusivity of content or access. Think music distribution, large music producers could legally negotiate exclusivity deals
with ISP’s blocking access to specific artists who are promoting themselves. Ed Sheeran could be the last successful artist
who built a loyal fan base using YouTube and other independent streaming services before signing with a large record label.The arguement to eliminate Net Neutrality was based on ISP’s questionable need to raise profits in order invest in infrastructure – espcially mobile phone connectivity. According to Forbes magazine, U.S. broad band speeds rank 9th in the world but the average is only half of the speed levels experienced by residents of Singapore. Mobile experiences in the U.S. are dismal especially when the price consumers are paying for the service are considered. “The US ranks sixth in the world in the cost for mobile internet and 46th in mobile internet speed. In other words, people in the US aren’t getting what they’re paying for. Kevin Murnane , Forbes Magazine Contributor” . See the complete article in Forbes Magazine, Speedtest Ranks Internet Access Speed In More Than 100 Countries.
Our Point of View:
Open up internet access and broad band and wi-fi to other competitors, allow anyone to get into the ISP business, let consumers and the markets decide what services they are willing to pay for and who they will pay for them! Let the market decide the ISP speeds that are appropriate for a given geography and the service levels that market needs.
View the video and follow the links below to learn more.