Net Neutrality - A Primer

FCC is set to assert authority over access to the Internet. By now, you are aware that there is a battle going on between Internet providers and Public Interest groups and others about future control of the Internet. While the regulations being voted on by the FCC are a long way from being confirmed by litigation and decisions by a court of competent jurisdiction, they represent the first salvo in the fight over Internet access restrictions. They will prohibit Internet providers from slowing Internet traffic from competitors, and contain enforcement mechanisms to insure that all Internet traffic is treated equally as it passes through the infrastructure. There are quibblers, who allege that the regulations don't cover wireless providers; and, since wireless seems to be the growth area of the future, this seems short sighted. However, once the Federal Government promulgates regulations, if upheld by the courts, it is likely they will be expanded in the future. There is an irony that Government regulation is required to keep the Internet traffic unencumbered by restrictions from private enterprise. But, given the scope of the Internet, the regulation is really the grandchild of regulation of other public utilities, like the telephone and electricity. The test will be whether Government regulation can be prevented from becoming a restriction on freedom of speech. Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.