Net Neutrality

"If all we need to thrive in this world is life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, then that happiness needs to include equal access to high internet speeds and web content for all," say fans of net neutrality.

“Net neutrality” became a thing back in 2002 when some folks started getting concerned that certain internet service providers either were or might be inclined to slow down or throttle internet speeds for certain customers, or possibly deprioritize or even block certain web content. “That’s not fair,” says the net neutrality brigade. “No one should be priced out of partaking in the internet.” Yet despite advocates’ efforts in 2017 to stop the FCC from rolling back existing Net Neutrality regulations and protections, they were, in fact, rolled back. Chagrin all around.

At issue? The cable and phone companies paid some $50 billion to lay pipe and whatever all over the country. It was shareholder money; why should they be then forced to give access away for free? Did Castro just take over the mainland?

But some say this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. By charging more for differing levels of high speed internet access, for example, ISPs are actually promoting development (not to mention recouping some of the serous capital required to develop internet infrastructure). In addition to that, by allowing the market to dictate the economics of the internet instead of having the government regulate it, we’re fostering competition. "And that," net neutrality naysayers say, "is what it’s all about."