“Net neutrality” is the principle that all internet service providers treat all content and data, regardless of where it’s coming from, equally. This means that the service providers can not favor sources or block any either. Everyone including government agencies, school systems, individuals, large corporations, businesses, and organizations are all experiencing the same speed and quality of information on the internet. The Federal Communications Commissions will be voting on Chairman Ajit Pai’s proposal to “pull the plug” on net neutrality tomorrow. If this is approved, internet providers will be allowed to speed up access to some websites that are willing to pay for it.
What does it mean if there was an internet without net neutrality?
– Service providers can block certain content from their customers
– Companies like AT&T, Comcast, and Verizon would be able to decide who is heard and who isn’t
– Small business owners would suffer: they rely on the open internet to launch their businesses, advertise, and reach customers.
– Consumers would have to pay to have a fast lane internet access
– Certain content would be harder to access than other depending on the provider you have
Pai, who says he supports an “open Internet,” believes that less regulation in this area is more beneficial to market growth. According to Pai, “the decision to pass the Open Internet Order in 2015—which reclassified internet service providers as common carriers under Title II of the Communications Act and provided the FCC with the legal framework to regulate the companies—has left millions of Americans “on the wrong side of the digital divide” without broadband access.” (https://www.sonic.com/about-us/news/what-net-neutrality-tech-industry-united-against-ajit-pais-fcc-plan).
It is important for businesses like us to have a the freedom and access to promote our business. We are passionate for providing people with health insurance and we rely on the internet to get our name out there.
