In December 2017, the net neutrality regulation of the US was repealed. One year later, evaluations of the consequences show an immense bandwidth. Some find that the (American) internet did not change at all or even improve because of the legal change, citing spurious relationships such as increased internet speed rates (Moran 2018). Others see very concrete negative consequences, for example that the promises of ISPs about more network investment, lower prices and no negative traffic discrimination were not kept (Sohn 2018). And research conducted in 2018 using the app Wehe concluded that in their tests, “nearly every” US cellular ISP (internet service provider) throttles traffic, meaning setting a limit on the available bandwidth for at least one streaming video provider - before and after the repeal of the law took effect (Choffne 2019). So what can be inferred from the ‘natural experiment’ with net neutrality regulation in the US by first introducing and then negating it again?
On the one hand, the fact that the debates sparked primarily in the US at different points of time triggered similar actions in other parts of the world shows the importance of the question. As average citizens are usually not too well informed about or involved in the shaping of internet governance, the massive mobilization of civil society that led for example in the US (2014 and 2017), Brazil, the EU and India to thousands of contributions on public policy consultations is even more striking (Marsden 2017). With an ever increasing demand for more bandwidth and rising numbers of internet users especially in developing countries, not only the topic of net neutrality will become even more salient but users will come to realise this salience. On the other hand, the content of the debates and the number of countries without net neutrality measures in place (Dynamic Coalition on Net Neutrality 2018) shows relatively small progress since the beginning of the century. Reasons for that are the lack of empirical evidence for common claims or about the impact of introduced regulations as well as the missing link between economic, social, technological, political and human rights based arguments in the discussions (Marsden 2017). But one of the main reasons is probably lacking awareness among policymakers and national stakeholders how pressing the issue is. In the following I try to address those challenges by asking if and when there should be regulations on net neutrality.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Can Regulation Save the Internet?1. Who Would Win? The Internet or...
- Neutrality Regulations For Every Netizen
- Net Neutrality as a Safeguard for Human Rights in the Digital Age
- Net Neutrality as Facilitating Force for the Online Public Sphere
- Net Neutrality as an Economic Factor
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper investigates the potential of regulations for achieving net neutrality on the internet. The author examines the diverse arguments surrounding net neutrality, including its impact on human rights, the online public sphere, and the economic landscape.
- The role of net neutrality in protecting human rights, particularly freedom of expression and information.
- The importance of net neutrality for the functioning of the online public sphere and its contribution to democratic processes.
- The economic implications of net neutrality, including its influence on innovation, competition, and the development of the internet ecosystem.
- The impact of net neutrality on the relationship between Internet Service Providers (ISPs), Content and Application Providers (CAPs), and end-users.
- The challenges of implementing and enforcing net neutrality regulations in a rapidly evolving technological environment.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Can Regulation Save the Internet?1. Who Would Win? The Internet or...: This chapter introduces the topic of net neutrality by discussing the recent repeal of net neutrality regulations in the US. It explores the debate surrounding the consequences of this repeal, highlighting contrasting perspectives on its impact on internet access and service quality. The chapter also emphasizes the global significance of net neutrality and the growing importance of internet governance.
- Neutrality Regulations For Every Netizen: This chapter defines the concept of net neutrality and outlines different models for its implementation. It argues for the need for net neutrality regulations that protect all internet users and addresses the potential challenges of achieving this goal. The chapter also discusses the importance of proactively implementing net neutrality regulations rather than waiting for problems to arise.
- Net Neutrality as a Safeguard for Human Rights in the Digital Age: This chapter positions net neutrality within the framework of human rights law, emphasizing its connection to fundamental rights such as freedom of expression and information. It discusses how net neutrality can be seen as a crucial element in ensuring the online realization of these rights and outlines the legal obligations of states to promote and protect net neutrality.
- Net Neutrality as Facilitating Force for the Online Public Sphere: This chapter explores the role of net neutrality in fostering a vibrant and diverse online public sphere. It argues that without net neutrality, practices like blocking, throttling, and prioritization could undermine the free exchange of information and ideas online, potentially leading to a skewed and less representative public sphere.
- Net Neutrality as an Economic Factor: This chapter analyzes the economic arguments surrounding net neutrality, highlighting the diverse perspectives on its impact on innovation, competition, and the overall internet economy. It examines empirical evidence and theoretical claims regarding the potential benefits and drawbacks of net neutrality regulations and discusses the implications for both ISPs and CAPs.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The main focus of this work lies on net neutrality, its impact on human rights, the online public sphere, and the economic landscape. Key terms include: net neutrality, internet governance, human rights, freedom of expression, online public sphere, democratic processes, innovation, competition, Internet Service Providers (ISPs), Content and Application Providers (CAPs), and broadband networks. The author explores the arguments for and against net neutrality regulations, drawing on empirical evidence and theoretical perspectives to shed light on the complex relationship between technology, politics, and human rights.
- Quote paper
- Christin Rudolph (Author), 2019, Network Neutrality. Can Regulation Save the Internet?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/465470
