When I started to pen this column on network neutrality -- the
notion that all content on the Internet should continue to be
treated equally -- I thought I was on the side of grassroots
coalitions like Save the
Internet and Hands off the
Internet.
These groups believe that Internet traffic should not be parsed
based on the traffic's source, content or destination, and they
predict that the Internet will become a private toll road unless
Congress writes a strong definition of network neutrality into the
Communications Opportunity, Promotion and Enhancement Act of 2006
(COPE), otherwise known as HR 5252, the proposed rewrite of the Telecom
Act of 1996.
What's the position of the telecom providers? They've invested
billions to upgrade network infrastructure in anticipation of more
bandwidth-intensive apps. In order to continue investing in the
health of the Internet, and in order to have it run smoothly, they
need to be able to discriminate between high-demand and low-demand
traffic.
The word that sticks in the craw is "discriminate," and it has
sent millions of Internet users into a frenzy of worry that a
looser definition of network neutrality will turn large telecom
providers into not only toll collectors but content police.
Think of your own use of the Internet. Are your digital photos
and home videos consuming more bandwidth? Of course they are. What
about your corporate website? Are you using streaming video yet?
And what happens if the "Year of Videoconferencing" actually
becomes reality? Bandwidth demand skyrockets.
I've reconsidered. I'm now neutral on the concept of network
neutrality. The real issue--what's really important to address--is
how woefully behind the rest of the world the United States is in
pervasive, high-speed broadband deployment.
What our nation needs more than HR 5252 is a comprehensive,
long-term national telecommunications infrastructure policy that
lays out how our country will build that national high-speed
broadband network. If we don't, our nation will not be able to COPE
with the rest of world.
icon.
