1. What is the fundamental issue underlying the net neutrality debate?
The techology is using an unlicensed spectrum. To mess around with it in your own home with low power is fine. To do so outside your home, and at higher power means interference beyond your control. It can also be described by wikipedia as "a broadband network free of restrictions on the kinds of equipment that may be attached, on the modes of communication allowed, that does not restrict content, sites, or platforms and where communication is not unreasonably degraded by other communication streams would be considered neutral by most observers."
2. List two groups, organizations, or individuals in favor of netneutrality. Fairly describe their arguments in favor of net neutrality.
-www.savetheinternet.org- "The Internet has thrived because revolutionary ideas like blogs, Wikipedia or Google could be started on a shoestring and attract huge audiences simply because their users found the sites valuable. Without Net neutrality the pipeline owners will choose the winners and losers on the Web."
-www.openinternetcailition.com- They campaign for universal affordable access, a more open internet- where access to broadband networks should be open to all producers and consumers of Internet content on fair and equal terms, and quality through competetion because a competitive marketplace creates jobs, helps the American consumer, fosters innovation, and drives economic growth.
3. List two groups, organizations, or individuals opposed to netneutrality. Fairly describe their arguments against net neutrality.
Comcast- They believe that peer 2 peer programs such as limewire and bittorent are taking up too much bandwith and are taking away from other customers. They believe if they were able to control who gets what and how much, then these peer 2 peer companies will not stand a chance. Legally, it helps music/video companies because it would force people to buy more music/dvd's.
Other Telecommunication companies- claim the right under U.S. law to operate the network with minimal government interference. They claim that anti-tiering regulations may indirectly prevent the expansion and improvement of Internet access for their customers, who have used an increasing amount of bandwidth. The telecommunications corporations also claim that a lack of differentiated funding sources has slowed their own corporations' implementations of new technologies and also resulted in elevated prices for many of their customers.
4. What is your opinion on the subject? (you might also find it interesting to use some of the detective skills you learned in the networking lab to find out who owns savetheinternet.com and handsoff.org). In my opinion, net neutrality should be kept. The internet is not in place so one company can dominate in all areas, and therefore kick out the competitors. After all, the internet was built by private organizations, with each person adding to it to improve the overall effectiveness. If companies start monopolizing on the biggest form of media available, then many many many jobs will be lost surely lost. for example, As it is now, people can use Yahoo! or Google, or whatever search engine they have, and they will get results in similar times. If networks are allowed to control how fast people get their results, then the whole idea of a free market internet goes out the window.
