Blog 2: Net Neutrality & Consumer Access

media source: the-future-of-commerce.com

There has been much debate (usually started by one of our favorite conglomerates) surrounding Net Neutrality. A lot of these telecoms that are against Net Neutrality argue that they should have control of the speed of the internet they provide so that they can offer faster speeds at additional costs. For the consumer, of course. They’re trying to help us out! Why aren’t we on board? The reason is plain and simple. Like Greek yogurt. When offered the opportunity to charge higher prices for faster speeds there is no reason for these tech giants (hey, how’d they get so giant…) to offer reasonable prices or reasonable speeds. To encourage consumers to pay the higher price they are more often than not likely to slow down the cheaper internet plan in order to entice, well, more like pressure, their customers to pay more.

media source: Getty Images

For example, right now I’m doing my blog post for school in Google Docs so I can see the word count. On another screen I have a video playing so I can listen to people debate about Net Neutrality and make the most informed post I possibly can.

This is how I work.

I’m also broke.

If AT&T offered a faster speed at a steeper price I, realistically, would not be able to afford that. I can’t even afford internet at my home now. My roommates are paying for this Wifi right now, they have no idea I’m mooching. Anyway, the slower imaginary internet plan would not allow me to be running so many different things at once because why? Because why would you get anything good for cheap? You get what you pay for. If they can force you to pay more by making cheaper things with terrible quality, why wouldn’t they?

So, how did these tech companies get so giant? By knowing this fact. This is just how Apple slows down old phones, it’s to pressure you into getting a new one. Do you know how much the newest Iphone is? It’s $1,000. Excuse me!? There are countless examples of this type of planned obsolescence from fast fashion to the textbooks we have to use for class in this very school (why do i need an $80 more expensive book that is barely any different than the last edition!) We are continuously made to spend more, why must we also spend more to learn more? To better ourselves? To participate in society?

In all, the internet is a right. It should always be open and as free as possible, like a library. We cannot limit the access of information to anyone or else we pose an inequality of education to the very people who make and can make this world an amazing place. Without allowing this to be a human right we are limiting the endless information to only those who have access to the money to afford it. These Telecoms may choose to favor the websites they work with or own, making it difficult to access information that they don’t want us to have access to. Censorship does not allow for information to flow freely or ideas to form authentically. It hurts our youth and society. The rich already have so much, it’s only right that we all as people are allowed to have access to information so we can be informed, heard and seen. It would be barbaric to imagine a world where we hold our society back from information and communication for a paycheck. Access truly is necessary to thrive.