Net Neutrality Ended on Monday and the Internet Still Works!

[Valin]

Legal Insurrection

Mary Chastain   

Monday, June 11, 2018

emember when the FCC repealed net neutrality last December? The supporters went into hyperbole-overload. Some even spewed racial slurs at FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and even stalked his house. My goodness, I thought the world, or at the least the internet, would end.

The FCC’s Restoring Internet Freedom Order went into effect today, June 11, and…the internet is still working. The world is still turning. So let’s review WHY people should relish in the fact that net neutrality no longer exists.

Net neutrality sounds like a good thing. It’s neutral! ISPs must treat ALL traffic the same.

Yeah, well, it actually backfired. Since net neutrality came about in 2015 it caused investment in broadband networks to drop “more than 5.6%.” The regulation punished the small internet service providers because “[T]hey don’t have the time, money or lawyers to cut through a thicket of complex rules.” Those same rules made companies hesitate when it came to introducing new services due to fear of non-compliance. Last May, Pai heard from 19 municipal internet service providers (city-owned nonprofits) that had to “often delay or hold off from rolling out a new feature or service because we cannot afford to deal with a potential complaint and enforcement action.”

One thing I love about Pai is his understanding and appreciation for the MARKET. If people would stop meddling with markets, more than likely everything will work out. This applies to the digital world as well.

(Snip)