If you followed the news lately, you've probably heard a lot about the debate on net neutrality and the ongoing conflict billion dollars between companies on the Internet. Most people, however, probably do not understand what the difference really is, and do not care about yourself. Let me break down the situation and how the impact on the results we all.
online content services such as Netflix and Hulu do not have the physical Internet pipes that carry Internet traffic. Instead, they pay providers such as Level 3 Communications and Cogent to transport their data to Internet providers like Comcast, Verizon, and Time Warner Cable. These companies usually have up sharing agreements whereby they agree to carry data each other back and forth instead of loading another.
The problem is that the streaming of online services like Netflix and Hulu are becoming more popular every day and take up to an even higher percentage of online traffic (some estimates say as much as Netflix made a third of all traffic during prime time). This means that the amount of traffic carried over the Internet has increased enormously, overwhelming the network connections between companies such as Level 3 providers like Comcast. This required heavy investment in infrastructure to meet demand and, of course, someone has to pay for these investments.
ISPs have offered to pay a fee to content providers like Netflix for fast and reliable connection. Content providers who pay this tax should be prioritized, while those who do not pay would experience slower connections. This approach obviously does not create "net neutrality" since not all Internet traffic be treated equally. ISPs would be free to slow or even block certain services. For its part, Netflix offers to pay for put some of its data centers directly to major Internet service providers, bypassing network congestion. This practice is done in Europe and with some ISPs smaller here in America, but was shunned by major players in the US Internet providers argue that content providers should be on the hook for the cost of updating since their services require massive investments, while content providers argue that Internet providers should pay the costs of providing the speeds they promise to their customers.
multiple attempts by the FCC to regulate the Internet and to impose net neutrality have mostly failed, and Congress has yet to come up with any legislative solution. Recently, Netflix even broke its own code and started paying Comcast charges if they strongly objected to ensure guests enjoyed uninterrupted video streaming.
The debate over net neutrality is nothing new and unlikely to disappear any time soon. For many people, net neutrality seems to be a distant issue for large companies to settle, but the consequences affect us all -. Especially when you see a buffering message while watching our favorite shows online
Now that you have a better understanding, what do you think of the idea of "net neutrality?"
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