The Internet Is about to Become Like Paid Cable. And We All Hate Cable.
Are you a cord cutter or cutting curious? Hate paying for content you don’t like, like Teen Mom OG? We feel your pain.
But the FCC doesn’t seem to mind at all. The type of bundling that Big Cable forces you into might soon be coming to a computer near you if the FCC, as they are expected to, votes to repeal net-neutrality guidelines. The rules have been in place only since way back in 2015 when the guy with the nice smile, pointy ears and a commitment to an open Internet worked with the FCC to do the right thing to protect the web. Yep, things move pretty fast these days.
Net neutrality stops Internet service providers such as AT&T, Verizon, Comcast, etc., from offering preferential treatment to certain content. If it goes away, providers could, among other bad things, do the following:
● bundle content into something like a “social package” featuring Facebook and Twitter loading at faster speeds. Sorry, Snapchat.
● create new paid fast-lane schemes that hurt people, start-ups, nonprofits and small businesses alike
● form new broadband monopolies and punish consumers, competition and creators
Just why is the FCC doing this?
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai says that net-neutrality rules have hurt investment in broadband, but that is an alternative fact if we’ve ever heard one. An analysis of the investments made by publicly traded Internet service providers shows that investment has increased since 2015. Whoops. Not even cherry-picked data could prove Pai’s investment myths.
To us Pai’s argument sounds a lot like one that Wall Street might make about higher taxes: if Congress increases them, they’ll stop or slow investment. Oh really? They’re going to do what, exactly, with their cash? Put it under their mattress? Move it all to Bitcoin? We don’t think so. Like Wall Street, Internet service providers will keep investing because they want to reach new customers and not piss off their existing ones. It’s called capitalism.
So what’s next, and what can you do?
The FCC is expected to vote on a repeal of net-neutrality rules on December 14. This is a big, fat gift for Internet-service providers, and it comes on the second night of Chanukkah! They’re spinning the dreidel with the open and accessible web on the line.
Our friends at Mozilla and a broad coalition aren’t taking this lying down. They’re pushing Congress to take strong action. Head over to Mozilla.org to take action today.
