Why You Should Care About Net Neutrality

Come on!

Come on!

(groans)

Still loading?

Still loading.

It's still loading.

Have you ever been stuck

on a really slow Internet connection?

One so slow that you just can't stream video

or you have to give up on using certain sites

or apps because they just take too long to load?

Well, imagine that certain sites were permanently

confined to a slow lane like that

while others were allowed to operate at full speed

unless either you or the owners of the site

was willing to cough up extra money

to your Internet provider

to get things zipping along again.

It would be like paying to board earlier for an airplane

but for just about for anything that you do online.

These hypothetical slow lanes are at the heart

of the debate over net neutrality.

The idea that Internet service providers

shouldn't be allowed to discriminate against

or grant preferential treatment

to particular sites and apps.

Without net neutrality, broadband providers

like Comcast, Charter, as well as mobile carriers like

AT&T and Verizon could slow Netflix to a crawl

in order to keep you paying for their television package.

Or, they could block you from accessing Skype

in order to keep you using your cell phone messages.

Basically, a world without net neutrality

might mean that you have to pay more

to access the Internet content you want.

But, it could also crush innovation

because, without a level playing field,

new apps and services won't be able to compete

with entrenched companies.

The next YouTube or Snapchat might never get off the ground

if they have to work out special deals with

every Internet provider in the country

just to reach customers.

Without net neutrality, the future could be stuck

in a slow lane.

Like, how is this still loading?

(sighs)