The internet is something we all love very dearly and is very close to our hearts in this age of modern technology. It is just as much a part of our lives as clothing and shelter are, and the majority of the population needs the internet for various purposes like, looking something up on Google, sending emails, calling an Uber and for basic entertainment needs.
So, what if suddenly our broadband providers decide to slow down the speed of the videos on Netflix or YouTube that we’re watching? What if they suddenly create a package, where we could only gain access to certain websites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at a certain rate but we could not access any other websites like Wikipedia or The Daily Star through that package? And to gain access, we would need to pay extra for another deal. This pay-per-service is the world we would be living in, if net neutrality gets repealed.
Net neutrality is the idea that all traffic on the internet must be treated equally. This means that ISPs (Internet Service Providers) cannot intentionally throttle content, completely block anybody from seeing it or charge the customers extra for certain services. All data, no matter how big or small the bandwidth, must travel at the same speed and everybody must be able to access it whenever they want to. So, for example, imagine if you were to opt for a high-speed package from a company similar to infinity dish, you’re paying for a particular download and upload speed which you wouldn’t then expect to decrease over time or amount used. If net neutrality is repealed this wouldn’t be the case at all. Essentially meaning that, an internet without net neutrality is almost like cable television where you would pay your providers extra for certain channels or would pay a different price for certain packages. Therefore, it might be advisable to subscribe to ATT Bundles or similar combined internet and cable TV packages that can let you enjoy the best of both worlds without compromising on speed or channel limitation.
Recently a decision to repeal the Obama-era rule of Net Neutrality was made by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) Chairman, Ajit Pai. The federal government will not be controlling high-speed internet access the way phone services are being monitored. This decision created a stir amongst the people of USA which resulted in multiple protests throughout the country. The Internet Association that includes top companies like Facebook and Google said they were also considering filing a suit. Ajit Pai defended his decision by conveying that telecom companies would now have to be more transparent and that this would eventually benefit the consumers as the companies would provide multiple service options. The chairman and his fellow Republicans voted for this decision giving them a majority of 3 to 2.
So what happens when Net Neutrality is repealed? When the rule is repealed, the telecom authorities gain full control of the system in which they allow users to access contents on the internet. For example if AT&T decides that they don’t want to allow users to get access to YouTube videos, they can do that without anybody’s permission. They can also reduce the buffering speed or drop video quality. They can also make a package only for YouTube and Netflix, where, if any consumer wants to surf these two domains, they would need to pay extra cash. This is something that would likely not sit well with the mass population, especially when you consider the Netflix statistics 2022 shows, and how many would be impacted. ISPs can also make services similar to cable TV where one has to pay for individual websites they go to. This makes the internet “not” an enjoyable and free platform.
Consequently, the general users of the internet would be affected. ISPs can charge more for the websites that take up more bandwidth. Ajit Pai said that, if any ISP increases the prices beyond measure, then the customers can just shift to another ISP. He also added that since the ISPs do know about customer options, they would keep the prices in mind and that this would help control the market and create competition amongst them. But the majority of American citizens have access to only 1 or at best 2 service providers. So in most cases there would be fewer options to change ISPs and the market would become more or less oligopolistic.
Additionally, the service providers can charge a heavy sum from big organizations like Facebook, Google, Netflix etc. so that their content is delivered through a fast lane to the consumers. This would result in high profit for the ISPs. However, as much as it is possible for big companies to keep paying a large amount, smaller companies would face further difficulties in doing so on a regular basis. In this way the bigger companies will grow and the new alternatives will never be able to set their foot off the ground.
An open and unbiased internet is very necessary for small businesses or startups to grow. The internet’s fair and level playing field during the net neutrality period helped these organizations to create a market, launch and advertise their products and services. This is how Facebook rose over My Space. And now without neutrality, the future of startups is starting to look bleak. Moreover, ISPs might block their competitor’s websites and contents and boost their own. Before the rules were applied in 2015, Comcast, a leading ISP, already reduced the speed of Netflix streaming until they got paid a hefty amount by Netflix. Since this has actually happened before, chances are quite high that it might happen again as the rule gets repealed.
Undoubtedly, internet is an essential need for every single one of us and Net Neutrality is a way of saying that the internet is open for everybody. One can go wherever they want, do whatever they want to do, have a certain sense of anonymity on the internet. But with the rules being drawn back, ISPs are given full control of the connections. They can monitor the users, track them, and charge them extra for services that are not supposed to be given in packages. The repeal is not just affecting the general users but also the existing businesses and startups with low capital. ISPs are given a chance to exploit their position as gatekeeper and ruin the internet’s fair playing field and soon enough this practice will hit this side of the world and we will be pushed back to a more uneven playing field.
BY KAZI NAYEER
