Blogswarming Net Neutrality

Thanks to Mark for getting this blogswarm going. Net Neutrality is a crucial problem because of this simple fact. The only providers offering you connectivity to the network (your cable co, telco and mobile co) are the exact same companies with the most to lose by giving you equal access to services on those networks.

Now that we have IP networks, from a theoretical perspective, everything you are used to: your local phone service, your voice minutes, your 500 channels are now nothing more that artificial restrictions on your access to the greater network. Artificial restrictions that that your provider charges you every month for the privilege of keeping in place.

Here’s one more example.

The idea behind Net Neutrality is to try and ensure an open competitive environment for network services through regulation of connection and telco providers.

Note: There is still (valid) debate out there as to whether “Net Neutrality” per se is the best solution to this problem - or, if so, what exactly it means and how it should be implemented/regulated.

But that’s a debate we need to start having. (Paging the CRTC…)

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