200 Words on Net Neutrality

The internet today is neither neutral nor free. Those who can afford better, faster servers and more bandwidth can serve more customers and reach more people simultaneously than those who cannot. Telecommunication companies charge hefty sums to supply and maintain the bandwidth purchased by the likes of Amazon, Microsoft, and Yahoo, in addition to the millions of DSL and broadband residential and business customers. Service providers can charge for higher classes of service when selling dedicated links within their closed network but the internet is not a closed, restricted network.

However, the internet must be content-neutral and free as is “live free or die” not “free toy with every kid’s meal.” We do not regulate phone conversations based who are speaking, what they are saying, or how much money they have paid. Some can afford more phone lines and talk to more people at once, but everyone’s phone call has equal priority in the network.

The value of information on the internet should be measured by its merit, not by the money spent to make it available. A free and open internet facilitates a free and open society. When everyone as equal access to all information and ideas, liberty flourishes.