Net Neutrality now coming to an end? Discuss.

[Zansho]

Story can be found here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ytech_wguy/2...ch_wguy_tc1510

Essentially speaking, internet companies want to charge you more for the bandwith you use - it doesn't take as much bandwith to check your email, but it does for streaming your video and watching youtube.

This could affect people who like to play online games, stream their video to their comps, use VIOP services like Skype...

How do you feel about this?

[Zhais]

Your comments are not really a net neutrality issue...

Net neutrality means a company would favor a connection to youtube over youporn or hulu, and restrict speeds to websites they aren't in favor with (which the court case dealt with).

Charging you based on the amount of traffic you use does not violate net neutrality.

The article and court ruling, however, ARE concerned with net neutrality. But this is just dealing with who has the power to regulate who and what.

[Baelorn]

The ruling basically said the FCC had no legal justification. The next step will be getting laws passed that give the FCC the legal right they need.

[Cantih]

Between this and what's happened in the UK it is unsettling.

But so far, the ruling just states that the FCC doesn't currently have the authority to enforce net neutrality. Write/phone your congress-critters & president to move forward on legislation to keep things free.

As to the bandwidth/cost thing, the FCC is investigating that in a separate matter.

[Cephius]

Comcast case and resulting discussion was already posted in Tech section here. Feel free to add comments there.

[Alleya]

The internet has been abuzz with the imminent end of net neutrality for about 10 years now.