Opinion on net neutrality
- 1. Opinion on Net-Neutrality Opinion on Net-Neutrality Mansoor Faridi Fort Hays State University March 1, 2015
- 2. Opinion on Net-Neutrality 1 FCC’s adoption of regulation vis-à-vis Net Neutrality On February 26, 2015, FCC ruled in favor of net neutrality by reclassifying broadband access as a telecommunications service and thus applying Title II (common carrier) of the Communications Act of 1934 to Internet service providers. According to FCC Chairman, Tom Wheeler, "This is no more a plan to regulate the Internet than the First Amendment is a plan to regulate free speech. They both stand for the same concept." (Net neutrality, 2015) In my opinion FCC’s adoption of regulation is a preemptive action in the right direction. I base this argument on a two simple facts: (1) Slower connections drive-away web-surfers, and (2) Net-neutrality does not impede innovation. Slower connections drives away web-surfers If a web-site takes longer to load then we instinctively abort the session, moving on to another web-site offering similar information that we were trying to access. This fact is further supported by Sitaram’s (2013) groundbreaking research in which he states, "What we found was that people are pretty patient for up to two seconds … if you start out with, say, 100 users — if the video hasn't started in five seconds, about one-quarter of those viewers are gone, and if the video doesn't start in 10 seconds, almost half of those viewers are gone." Figure 1 (below) presents empirical evidence supporting the proportional correlation that exists between user abandonment rate and internet startup delays.
- 3. Opinion on Net-Neutrality 2 Figure 1. Relationship between User-abandonment rate & Startup Delay Net-neutrality does not impede innovation Some pundits have argues that if Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are not able to charge higher rates (read as exorbitant) from the subscribers then they will not be able to invest in Research and Development, and as a result, the consumers will not benefit from ‘latest and greatest’ technological breakthroughs. I am a personal victim of this price gouging and speak from personal experience. Due to lower competition in the Canadian marketplace, users are gouged by enforcing ridiculous data caps on internet usage. Having said that, there is no evidence that quality of service has been impacted in any way. We have been able to enjoy good quality of service and technological breakthroughs (as they were implemented) but not forced into any undesirable situations as a consumer. Conclusion In conclusion, the preemptive nature of this latest FCC regulation is a welcoming change and will ensure that consumers rights are protected, and they will continue to enjoy internet service delivery at reasonable rates with an assurance of FCC vigilance!
- 4. Opinion on Net-Neutrality 3 References Net neutrality. (February 26, 2015). In Wikipedia. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Net_neutrality Krishnan, S., Sitaraman, R. (2013). Video Stream Quality Impacts Viewer Behavior: Inferring Causality Using Quasi-Experimental Designs. University of Massachussets. Retrieved from http://people.cs.umass.edu/~ramesh/Site/HOME_files/imc208-krishnan.pdf