What Is? Net Neutrality

If one were to take internet activists at their word, the future of a free and democratic internet is in grave peril.

This danger stems from a proposed set of new regulations from the Federal Communications Commission, the body tasked with regulating communication in the US, that, if enforced would mean the end of ''net neutrality".

At the moment all traffic on the internet is treated equally.

Joe Soap's website about the relative merits of lathering techniques when washing is just as easily available as the homepage of a major corporation.

Under the new rules proposed by the FCC, American broadband will be able to begin charging content providers for preferential treatment to access higher quality broadband.

This will split the internet into fast and slow lanes, with Joe Soap having to settle for slower and poorer internet access should he not be able to pony up.

Larger corporations will have an unfair advantage, should they decide to pay the premium, over their smaller and poorer competition as they will be able to deliver content faster.

Consumers would also suffer as the cost of these new tolls would be passed on to them.

Should they be enacted, the proposed regulations are unlikely to affect South African internet users but they may set a precedent that our own internet service providers may one day follow.