Net Neutralityand News

Week Nine

What is Net Neutrality?

And, what does Nemo have to do with it?

Net NeutralityIsn’t New

It was a problemfor telegraphcompanies

Net NeutralityIsn’t New

It was a problemfor telephone

companies

Now, it’s our problem.

And here’s what the problem is.

typical e-mail

The Internet was supposed to be dumb.

It was meant to be content, application and origin agnostic.

The Internet was supposed to be dumb

All traffic was equal

This was the principle ofCommon Carriage

as if the Internet were a public utility

Telcos want to change that

Telcos and partnersCompetitors andalternative voices

Telcos want to change that

Non-P2P ortelco VOIP

P2P trafficnon-telco VOIP

This is where Nemo comes in

A clear pipe from the dentist’s office to Sydney Harbour

Telcos want to play traffic cop

Content telco partnersapprove of or sell

Content telco partners don’t like

Content telco partners approve of or sell

Alternative Voices on Tight Budgets

Telcos want to create a

tiered internet

It happened to ham radio

operators

and it’s startingto happen

now.

• 2005 - Telus blocks union site during strike

• 2006 - AOL blocks anti-AOL website

• 2006 - Cox Cable blocks craigslist

• 2007 - Verizon blocks text messages from pro-choice group

• 2007 - Comcast throttles BitTorrent traffic

• 2008 - Rogers and Bell throttle bandwidth

Examples

• Reduces diversity of voices

• Accelerates concentration of media ownership

• Links media, industry and government

• Turns a public utility into a corporate playground

• Harms democracy

• Stifles innovation

Why Does it Matterfor News?

• SaveOurNet.org

• moveon.org

• Michael Geist

• CAIP

• Charlie Angus, NDP

What’s Being Done?

Steve AndersonSaveOurNet.ca

Thank you for your kind attention