Home » Jazz News » Technology

67

Google and Verizon Net Neutrality Plan: Is It the Devil's Work?

Source:

Sign in to view read count
This uninspired document has led to an interesting debate about content, wireless, and the future of broadband.

I love the irony: The Net Neutrality Debate is a debate in which virtually no one can stay neutral. We're all picking sides. Now that Google and Verizon tried to step in (with a new Legislative Framework Proposal) and guide us all to a theoretically better place, many have chosen to stand on the opposite side of these two giant companies.

I was on vacation when this story broke. I watched it all somewhat removed. I'd step into Disney World's Animal Kingdom Park, check my phone, and see that Google and Verizon had cooked up—without anyone really asking them to—a possible solution for the Net Neutrality conundrum. In a nutshell, the regular broadband world would remain neutral (with some fuzzy exceptions) to all online traffic, but the cellular wireless broadband environment would not.

I'll be honest, when I first read the proposal, I wasn't shocked or outraged. I've had numerous conversations with our Mobile Expert Sascha Segan who has explained the fundamental limitations of most cellular wireless networks, networks which were never built to handle broadband Internet access. This dialog was usually in response to my complaint that broadband data plans are too expensive. Segan told me that if they were too cheap and everyone signed on, it would cripple the networks. This was some years ago, and now I'm watching his vision come true. The new 4G networks should be better equipped to handle the load, but 4G is far from ubiquitous, and typical 3G networks, which everyone seems to find a way to afford, are showing signs of strain.

Continue Reading...

Comments

Tags

News

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.