How much will your bandwidth be squeezed?

If you haven’t heard about it yet, you will now.  Net Neutrality!  What is it?  Well to sum it up, it is the principle that Internet users should be in control of what content they view and what applications they use on the Internet.  So for example, lets say in a world without Net Neutrality, your email traffic would be more important than video streaming and file sharing, based on how your ISP considers its importance.   So more network bandwidth can be conserved.   In a world with Net Neutrality, all traffic would be un-regulated, so you can stream video, with just as much priority as your emails, business or personal.

The house recently passed a Telecommunications bill (H.R. 5252) which does not contain protections on Net Neutrality.

On October 22, 2009, The FCC Unanimously voted to consider rules that are proposed to keep the internet open.  Companies  Such as Google are supporting this decision.  While many others, like some un-named wireless providers are pushing to have it not even be heard.

While some people will argue that keeping all traffic unregulated, would lead to serious slow-downs, and possible crashes on internet providers, mostly on wireless carriers.  Having high bandwidth users, such as media streaming and torrents, would delay E-Mail and other lower bandwidth demands.  Allowing providers to regulate what kind of traffic gets priority would allow them to maintain efficient networks.  Another concern is providers like Verizon, would limit traffic on their VoIP competitors.

Allowing open access to the internet, would solidify the values that the internet was founded on.  Most ISPs wouldn’t be affected.  Their networks are constantly upgrading speed and capacity.  It may not have a HUGE impact on you, unless you primarily used your wireless carrier, and they couldn’t handle the capacity.

You have the facts, and the skepticism.  Now it is up to you to decide.

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