Net Neutrality
Net Neutrality is the term used to address issues regarding non-discriminatory traffic management by ISP. The internet is supposed to be easily accessible to everyone but this right is slowly being eroded in certain countries – including the USA. In this article we take a quick look at what Net Neutrality is and why it’s important.
The world is fast moving towards a digital age. Rapid consumption of data is taking place in every corner of the world. With each passing day, the demand for fast-paced unlimited internet services keeps on increasing. It is highly unlikely that this demand will subside anytime in the future. It’s a curve that’s rapidly reaching infinities.
At such times, Internet Service Providers (ISP) need to continually be at the forefront of being the best in what they do. They continuously need to provide users with fast-paced internet services, or else they will cease to exist.
To manage such a high flow of data, ISP’s tend to employ a variety of techniques for effective traffic management. This is necessary so that congestion or blockage does not occur on their channels. This puts the ISP’s in a place of privilege. They can divert traffic to a particular website or take transportation away from it, in return, making gains for themselves.
Net Neutrality is the term used to address issues regarding non-discriminatory traffic management by ISP. The internet is supposed to be easily accessible to everyone. It is considered a haven by many. Therefore it becomes equally important that any bias or politics do not influence it. Information should be freely available for consumption by the general public. Every digital business should have a fair chance of survival, and such decisions should not be influenced by money. It should not seek to hamper freedom of expression by promoting a particular viewpoint and suppressing the other. Therefore, net Neutrality is also a broad term that can mean different things to different people depending on the lens by which they choose.
The basic understanding behind the working of the internet is that data flows from one system to another without any interference. This is what a general user is prone to believing. However, many times due to security issues or traffic congestions, ISP’s can choose to regulate or monitor the flow of data. This may be for the more significant benefit, but it does raise questions about favoring a specific type of data to another. You or your employees can learn more about the IT features of your business and how to protect it from threats through cybersecurity training.
Net Neutrality can still be achieved if the providers are willing to be transparent about their data traffic management policies. Also, the user should be educated regarding their implications and the necessity to make their own informed decisions.
Net Neutrality does not rule out the importance of maintaining sufficient speeds on a network and its management. It is evident that in a world that values time over anything else, the rate is of the utmost importance. It only seeks to build a safe and immune community to any underlying tactics that may take away the essence of the unlimited internet.
Therefore the end-user and the service provider must share the responsibility of making the online space free from all kinds of discrimination.
