The FCC and Net Neutrality

     The term "net neutrality" has been a common headline in the news for a couple of months. Today, the Senate is voting on whether or not the FCC can overturn this policy. Net neutrality basically means that all internet data is treated equally by internet service providers, ie, not charging more for certain websites or slowing or blocking traffic from websites. Net neutrality keeps the internet free. This policy was enacted in 2015 by the Federal Communications Commission. But just last December, the FCC overturned this policy. But what exactly is the FCC?

A Brief History

      The FCC was established in 1934 to replace the radio regulations functions of the Federal Radio Commission. As time went on, inventions such as the television and cable tv expanded their job. Today, the FCC "regulates interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable in all 50 states, the District of Colombia, and U.S territories." According to their website, their goals include promoting competition, innovation, and investment, as well as "Revising media regulations so that new technologies flourish alongside diversity and localism". 

My Opinion

    I think that the overturning net neutrality limits the nation's access to information. By overturning net neutrality, private companies (that are Internet Service Providers) such as Verizon and AT&T can limit or purposefully make this information difficult to reach. This could mean many things and reach a broad spectrum of people. For example, Comcast and tv providers would be able to legally stop your streaming from Netflix, because they want more subscribers to their own programs. And it would be completely legal. While we don't know what exactly is going to happen because the fate of net neutrality has not been decided, it is a possible scenario. 

    I agree with article (linked below) from The New York Times. In the end, the decisions of these private companies will boil down to money (as in, what will profit them the most), the internet may face "price discrimination", as in, some information and streaming sites will not get a fair chance of having their information accessed on the internet because they won't be able to pay the price that these internet companies may ask for. So smaller companies may not be able to have fair competition against big ones such as Amazon, Netflix, Facebook, etc. I feel like this goes against what their goal of promoting competition. Or maybe it doesn't, because they never said the competition has to be fair. 

Bibliography:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/net%20neutrality
https://www.fcc.gov/about-fcc/what-we-do
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/what-will-the-end-of-net-neutrality-do-to-america_us_5a2b5b00e4b0d7c3f26222e5
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/21/technology/net-neutrality-repeal-questions.html