Q1: What is network neutrality? Why has the Internet operated under net neutrality up to this point in time?
Ans: The term network neutrality states that the internet traffic should be equally treated which means that the customers have equal right to access the content and different sites. It should be an open platform for all. For example in the case of Facebook it opens faster than the other websites because it has paid more money to open faster the other websites so what will happen is that Facebook speed increase and other websites speed will become slower. This case contradicts the idea of network neutrality which states that the traffic should be equal.
Now the internet service is based on first come first served basis, as there are more user and content available on the internet. You can say that the internet was not that efficient in reliability and speed before now because there weren’t many user and content available before on the internet.
Q2: Who’s in favor of net neutrality? Who’s opposed? Why?
Ans: Those who are in favor of net neutrality include small business, major consumer group, innovators and companies like Amazon and Google etc. Those who favor net neutrality state the risks that network administrator can choose to block certain data or give slow access which would effect on their business model if users can’t access or download the data quickly.
The cable and telecommunication companies are the major companies who oppose the net neutrality for security purposes and in order to earn more, as they want to charge different price on the measure of bandwidth consumed by data being conveyed over the Internet. Companies who oppose network neutrality argue that it eliminates the motivation for network administration for new technology innovation or upgrading.
Q3: What would be the impact on individual users, businesses and government if Internet providers switched to a tiered service model?
Ans: According to my opinion the impact would be significant. Due to high cost people who use internet just for leisure purposes will decrease. Individual user would only use internet when they truly needed to. As far as businesses are concerned they would have to think about cloud computing. In the case of the government Pakistan Internet provider surely linger behind in quality, speed and cost etc. By having high cost internet would be used more relevantly then leisurely and the profits margin would increase for the service provider. And by those extra profits companies would want to advance in technology.
Q4: Are you in favor of legislation enforcing network neutrality? Why or why not?
Ans: Yes! I am in favor of network neutrality because as an individual user I see it as, if the network neutrality is removes service provider would increase prices and allocation. Individual users will have to use slow internet while only big companies will buy it. Limited information will be available to individual if there is no network neutrality. Small companies will be left behind due to lack of financial recourses while big companies will get high speed internet in the tired internet model. So that’s why I favor net neutrality as every person has a right to access all the information the other person can access.
