Put It In Neutral

Who owns the Internet? Is the Internet a public utility? Should only a few companies have the ability to filter the Internet to end users?

These are some of the questions surrounding the effort to re-regulate the Internet by the FCC. Yesterday, the cause for net neutrality got a boost when the FCC voted to begin the process of re-regulating the Internet, which would potentially reverse the 2002 decision to deregulate the Internet, which since then left it up to the broadband providers to gate-keep the web itself. This re-regulation would not regulate the content of the Internet, but rather, would ensure that all users have equal access to the Internet and that providers could not discriminate and slow down or cut off a user.

The problem, of course, is that there are only a few major providers. Ever wonder why you only have two, maybe three options for broadband in your neighborhood? Ever wonder why the three prices are almost exactly the same, regardless of which provider you choose? Some call that collusion.

The phone and cable companies, of course, are loathing the decision. But others are applauding this change, such as Google and Dish Network.

And rightfully so.

After all, anytime the communications oligarchy (AT&T, Verizon, and Comcast) are sweating bullets, it's probably a good thing.

The Internet is too important to be controlled by a few parties without any regulation. The door has been opened to revisit re-regulation, which is good, as the public deserves a say in how the Internet is handled. After all, we've all seen the effects of little or no regulation, when companies promise to regulate themselves.