TechCrunch: If it’s data, it could be in trouble

Could your text messages get tossed in the slow lane if net neutrality falls? Article by Nic Denholm for BGR Net neutrality was one of last year’s biggest tech stories. The one that went mainstream after John Oliver poked fun at it and beseeched his viewers to flood the FCC’s comments page with tirades against a two-tiered Internet (which caused the site to crash).

Could your text messages get tossed in the slow lane if net neutrality falls?

Article by Nic Denholm for BGR

Net neutrality was one of last year’s biggest tech stories. The one that went mainstream after John Oliver poked fun at it and beseeched his viewers to flood the FCC’s comments page with tirades against a two-tiered Internet (which caused the site to crash).

So far, the main focus of the debate has been whether ISPs should be allowed to discriminate between the various data they deliver. The main opponents of a tiered Internet are companies like Netflix and YouTube, which deliver high volumes of rich content to their audience and don’t want to have to start charging customers more (in the case of the former) or upping their advertising (in the case of the latter).

Unsurprisingly, audiences are on their side, leaving the broadband providers and a few libertarian politicians in the opposing corner fighting what should be a losing battle. I say “should” because even overwhelming public opposition was not enough to prevent a D.C. Court of Appeals overturning a previous ruling requiring ISPs to treat all traffic equally.

- Read more at BGR