MisterWebNet

In a welcome move the FCC has thrown its weight behind net neutrality. This move is important for users because it means that internet service providers (i.e. your broadband provider) cannot impose rules on what you may or may not do whilst on the internet, or alter your speeds depending on what resources your accessing. Their approach to the net must be neutral.

Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Julius Genachowski, unveiled a proposal to bolster the agency's support of the core principle of Net neutrality.

Firstly a principle would be added to the Internet Policy Statement to codify the requirement that ISP's do not slow down or degrade transmissions of speicific serivces or applications.

Secondly a principle would be added requiring ISP's to disclose to their users how they are managing their networks.

Only last year, the FCC rebuked Comcast for throlling traffic from BitTorrent and failing to inform subscribers about its practices. Although Comcast is appealing the decision, this move to add the princples to the Internet Policy Statement would prevent such actions in future by ISP's.

Let's face it. If we want to live in a world where each particular ISP can set out what sites you can access (via slowing down your broadband speed to sites they do not want you to) we very quickly enter a world where consumers may only be able to access sites that pay ISP's to allow users access them, or are in some deliver benefits to ISP's.

It's essential that net neutrality is enshrined in law. We don't buy cars or rent cars only to be told what shops we can visit or what we can do. The same principle must apply to the internet.