Where Does the Internet Go From Here?

There exists an evil in this world that is so ubiquitous, so accepted, that its maliciousness is no longer even recognized.

Cable companies.

They're taking over all our data streams, restricting how fast theygoes, charging us ridiculous prices, offering horrible customer service, and then turning all that information over to the feds without a warrant. South Park can help elaborate (strong language--it's South Park, after all).

Unfortunately I live in a county where only one cable company has been approved to supply cable, internet and landline phone service. (Landlines?) I made the decision years ago to cut the cord with my cable company, but I still rely on them for broadband internet. I pretty much have no choice since they're the only provider that can supply the significant bandwidth I need. Friends have tried to seduce me into satellite, but its only real advantage seems to be better customer service-an instance where something is better than nothing.

I've replaced my cable boxes with Rokus. My ESPN/TSN with Hockeystreams and MLB At Bat. My channel surfing with Netflix and Hulu overload. My HBO with…err, HBO Go. But you get my point: that alternatives exist to the traditional cable and subscriber relationship, even if I'm still a slave to the same company that I'm trying to protest.

I'm not alone, as the growing number of cord cutters led to industry giants, such as Comcast, to throttle the data transfer of Netflix, who at times accounts for 40% of all internet traffic. Netflix recently agreed to pay Comcast Cable a significant interconnection fee, but continues to speak out against a proposed Comcast and Time Warner Cable merger, which will become the cable-industry leader by a wide margin.

Netflix's argument is sound: if big data companies are able to selectively throttle data streams and force a large company like Netflix into paying premiums, then any content distributor is at the will of internet service providers. There is a huge potential for data to be tightly controlled and censored, except it's big corporations who will determine what can or cannot be distributed.

And this is the net neutrality debate in a nutshell. We've turned so much of our lives over to the digital era and the internet, so quickly, that we've never considered the motivations of the internet gatekeepers.

Not only could this make communication exponentially more difficult, but it has the potential to drastically alter our technology. Innovation and collaboration would take a backseat to big money deals. ISPs could restrict what you can access online so that maybe you can't research a new smart phone (so the ISP tries to sell you that landline). ISPs could alter your news access to the point where the daily newspaper makes a comeback. An ISP could take CR4 away, just because of this here blog entry.

Of course, these are only possibilities. And many people are lobbying their representatives and the FCC to pass laws that require ISPs to treat all internet traffic indiscriminately. But it's not up to them, as the FCC has no authority over internet access, and capitalism requires at least some degree of laissez-faire. Therefore, to create a truly open and neutral internet competition needs to be spurned, and two things need to happen.

1. Better mobile networks: broadband companies insist that mobile Wi-Fi hotspots are a direct competitor, but there is really no comparison. The average home's broadband usage tops 100 GB a month, while even the largest wireless data plans cap usage at about 50 GB, and at about three times the expense. Mobile companies would need to develop universal, un-capped 4G coverage to become a viable alternative-a difficult but inevitable task here in the United States.
2. Local right-of-ways: before an ISP can deliver service to a region, they must pay local governments for wire space on utility poles and in underground conduits. If governments are willing to relax these regulations and fees, more ISPs would be willing to bring their services, increasing competition is smaller markets. Until this, smaller providers are going to be stuck in larger markets

The future of net neutrality is still unknown, but it stands on the horizon of great change. The information superhighway is patrolled by the warped economic interests of ISPs, at least for right meow.