Why 'Hands Off' is off the mark
In the debate over Net Neutrality, telecom companies have mounted their response at a site called Hands off the Internet, which alleges that the Internet has seen amazing growth without Congressional intervention.
While this is true, it is a classic redirect – yes, the Internet has seen amazing growth, and yes, it has up until now been largely free of government regulation. But what telecom companies like the newly merged AT&T and SBC, Verizon and BellSouth are trying to do (the same companies who handed over information about our phone calls to government authorities after 9/11) is change the fundamental nature of the Internet.
Up until now the Internet has been regulation-free, but it has also been free of the intervention of telecom companies, an even playing field for individuals and corporations alike. The telecom companies, seeking ever-greater profits after ever-bigger mergers, want to charge people and companies for high-bandwidth content. Sites like YouTube and Google Video wouldn't be possible – or at least free – if telecom companies had their way.
At the "Hands Off" site, telecom companies are trying to tell us that it's "big corporations" that would foot the bill for high-speed content. But two things would inevitably stem from this: one, these charges would severely inhibit access to the Internet's broadband services by ordinary people; and two, those "big corporations" like Yahoo! and Google would have to start charging us for high-speed content to pass on the cost they are being charged by the telecom providers.
Moving away from the fundamentally free nature of the Internet, where everyone has equal access to its resources, also raises the possibility that telecom companies could use their power to provide faster access only to preferred sites. If Verizon wanted us to use their music download service, for example, they could theoretically provide priority bandwidth to their service while others get left behind.
Net Neutrality will be a government regulation, but like anti-trust laws and other government regulations issued in the past, it will ensure a fair playing field for companies, small businesses and individuals alike. The free-enterprise nature of the Internet will be preserved. In the coming days, you'll find in the action center on our Web site to make your voice heard. In the meantime, visit savetheinternet.org and see what you can do to help keep the Internet the way it is now – free and fair for everyone.
