Archives for Net Neutrality

Net neutrality: What it is, why you should care

Net neutrality: What it is, why you should care

May 10, 2014 | Comments Off on Net neutrality: What it is, why you should care

By Woody Leonhard on May 7, 2014 in Top Story[1]
Woody LeonhardThe U.S. Federal Communications Commission has proposed a new set of rules that will change — some say kill — net neutrality.
With regulations coming soon, Congress hunkered down; and with a brawl breaking out on a dozen different fronts, here’s what you need to know about the FCC’s proposal and how it will affect you.
Perceptions of net neutrality differ
In the March 27 Top Story[2], I talked about how Netflix’s deal to hook directly into Comcast’s network didn’t violate net neutrality. I noted that co-locating Netflix servers in Comcast facilities simply bypassed intermediaries such as Cogent, Level 3, and other Content Delivery Network (CDN) companies. (CDNs typically act as a bridge between content providers such as Netflix and Internet service providers such as Comcast.)
The Netflix/Comcast deal might result in higher Netflix fees, but it doesn’t have any net-neutrality repercussions that I can see. However, other events and trends do have possible ramifications for net neutrality. Since I wrote that March 27 Top Story, the discussions about keeping the Internet on a level playing field have reached new highs and, unfortunately, new lows.
Discussing net neutrality is …


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Supreme Court Kills Net Neutrality but FCC is Clear Winner

Supreme Court Kills Net Neutrality but FCC is Clear Winner

January 25, 2014 | Comments Off on Supreme Court Kills Net Neutrality but FCC is Clear Winner

The FCC may have lost its battle in federal court last week to enforce its Net neutrality rules, but the ruling actually gave the agency what some are calling unlimited authority to regulate almost every aspect of the Internet.

The decision by the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia was initially deemed a blow to the principles of an open Internet and to attempts by the Federal Communications Commission to enforce them. But the simple truth is that last week’s decision marked a big victory for the FCC.

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