Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Net Neutrality : Equal Access to All

What is Net Neutrality?
Net Neutrality is the principle that preserves our right to communicate freely online.
It says that Internet Service Providers & governments should treat all data on internet equally, not discrimination or charging deferentially by user, content, site, platform, application or mode of communication.

The Issue
Without Net Neutrality ISPs can prevent users from visiting some sites, carve the internet into slow and fast lanes and can charge differently to access different sites on internet.
There are 4 different types of discrimination in this regard
1. Discrimination by protocol
2. Discrimination by IP address
3. Favoring private networks
4. Peering discrimination

Why Net Neutrality is Important ?
Net Neutrality is important for small business, start-ups and entrepreneurs who rely on free internet for promoting their business and ideas, connecting to their potential clients and building connections.
It is important for the youth to seek job opportunities and earn their livelihood as a freelancer.
For students it is important as it provides them free access to different study materials online which will help them in their academic growth.
Without net neutrality the innovation over the internet would be in control of the internet gatekeepers, the ISPs.
The freedom to raise voice over internet against anything illegal or wrong happening in the country, society, religion or any other aspect of life will no longer be yours.

Supporters of Net Neutrality
1. President Barak Obama
2. FCC chairman Tom Wheeler
3. Netflix
4. Millions of common people using net on a daily basis across the globe
5. Microsoft
6. Twitter
7. Yahoo
8. eBay
9. Tumblr
10. Public Knowledge

Opponents of Net Neutrality
AT&T, Verizon, IBM, Intel, Cisco, Nokia, Qualcomm, Broadcom, Juniper, Panasonic, Ericsson etc.

How can we support Net Neutrality
There is a website created - http://www.savetheinternet.in/
Visit the site and send a mail directly to TRAI, expressing your grief and discomfort about how telecom companies are snatching free internet from you.
23rd April is the last date after which TRAI will take its decision depending upon the responses received from the Indian people.

No comments:

Post a Comment