Net Neutrality

Do you remember using the Internet back before 2015?  I do.  I don't remember noticing any significant change in the speed or reliability of my internet usage before or since the day that net neutrality was implemented that year.  With December 14th of this year possibly marking the day net neutrality will be removed, I wanted to clarify why its possible repeal isn't necessarily devastating to Internet users.  Here I am only proving this particular point.

To quickly summarize the net neutrality issue, in 2015 the Obama administration adopted a set of rules that limited the actions of ISPs, or Internet service provider companies, so that they cannot restrict access to certain sites, slow loading speeds, or charge users of select sites additional fees for access to them.  Because net neutrality may not last beyond the next nine days, it is important to recognize that, although ISPs may have these legal restrictions removed from them, the dissolution of net neutrality does not necessarily spell the end of normal Internet access and usage.

The loss of net neutrality will not result in the Internet becoming unusable or
 access to certain websites (like Facebook) being sold for additional charges--if
ISPs act in the interest of preserving their revenues and customer allegiances.

Of course ISPs could abuse their powers.  It is logically possible that they could--but there is no evidence that they did before net neutrality was introduced in 2015 and no evidence that they will in the future if it is revoked on December 14th.  And even if they did, people could always stop using their services.  Sure, it might be uncomfortable for a while for both the providers and the consumers were that to happen.  But it is not in the interest of the ISPs to create conditions that dissatisfy the consumers.  Even if companies do not act in accordance with their rational self-interest, they only damage themselves, alienating the consumers that keep them supplied with revenue.  It is simply not an intelligent move in their part, if they wish to retain profit and customer allegiance, to drive away their customers.

If different ISPs did begin requiring payment for previously free sites or begin slowing down certain sites, they would be allowing any ISP that does not do such a thing a great opportunity to draw their customers away.  They would only be setting themselves up for consumer dissatisfaction, for customer loss, and for rivals to make more customer-friendly deals that make their services obsolete.  As I said, it is not in the interests of ISPs to tamper with Internet usage in these ways!

If the recent talk about the net neutrality issue has you frightened, I hope this explanation shows where fears about this matter are misplaced, or, at the very least, greatly disproportionate to the actual risk that is coming.  There is no evidence that some Internet catastrophe is approaching and it would not be conducive to profits for ISPs to manipulate expected Internet speeds and costs.