WHAT EXACTLY IS NET NEUTRALITY?
Net Neutrality is the principle that all traffic on the internet should be treated equally, regardless of whether you’re checking Facebook, posting pictures to Instagram, or streaming TV shows from Netflix or Amazon.
It also means businesses like AT&T (who is trying to buy Time Warner) or Comcast (who owns NBC Universal) can NOT favor their own content over a competitor’s. With Net Neutrality, these companies couldn’t slow down or block websites and apps of their choosing. Nor could they charge Netflix and other video services extra to reach more viewers with less lag and run smoothly. The rules also striped a broadband provider from, say, slowing down Amazon’s shopping site to extract business concessions.
Now all that is legal, as long as companies post their policies online.
With Net Neutrality rules gone, Tier 1 companies like AT&T and Verizon can give priority to their own content (movies and TV shows) with the possibility of rivals such as Amazon, YouTube, and start-ups yet to be born, that could feel the ramifications.
The battle isn’t completely over, though. Some states are moving to restore Net Neutrality, and lawsuits are pending. Senate also voted to save Net Neutrality, though that effort isn’t likely to become law.
Companies are likely to start testing the boundaries over the next six-months to a year. Expect to see more offers like AT&T’s exemption of its DirecTV Now streaming TV service from customers’ mobile data limits. Consumer advocates say that the repeal is just pandering to big business and that cable and phone giants will now be free to block access to services they don’t like. They can also set up “fast lanes” for preferred services — in turn, relegating everyone else to “slow lanes.” Tech companies such as Netflix and Spotify echoed similar issues in regulatory filings.
But larger companies might start charging extra for services not yet offered. For instance, they might charge more to view high-resolution “4K” video, while offering lower-quality video for free. The fees would be paid by the video services, such as Netflix, and could be passed along to consumers in higher subscription rates.
WHERE DOES CRAW-KAN STAND WITH NET NEUTRALITY?
At Craw-Kan, we believe in an equal internet and will continue to offer our customers the same access to services without having to charge individuals a premium to view content. We stand with Net Neutrality!
A lot of smaller Internet Service Providers (ISP), like ourselves, purchase bandwidth from other organizations, which lets us connect to the rest of the world—that’s where the phrase ‘World Wide Web’ comes into play. Since we are not a nationwide Tier 1 ISP, we pay for connectivity from larger Tier 1 providers such as AT&T and COX. After data leaves Craw-Kan’s network, we don’t have control over web traffic. In those moments, we could be affected by those larger upstream providers.
For those of you who are not Craw-Kan subscribers, depending on your internet provider, your ability to watch and use your favorite apps, streaming services, and other websites could start to change — but not right away – with the demise of Net Neutrality.
If you are interested in switching over to Craw-Kan’s fiber-optic internet, CLICK HERE!
If you would like to upgrade your current service with us, CLICK HERE.
The repeal of “Net Neutrality” took effect six months after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to undo the rules, which had barred broadband and cellphone companies from favoring their own services and discriminating against rivals such as Netflix.
If you have any further questions regarding the subject, visit the FCC’s website.