What an FCC rollback of net neutrality may mean for you

Source: 
Author: 
Coverage Type: 

Here are three ways an end to network neutrality could affect you: 

  1. You might notice a change in speed: Because net neutrality tells Internet service providers they have to handle all traffic equally, the end of the regulation could allow companies like Comcast to rely on a "pay-to-play" business model, critics say. For instance, an ISP could demand higher fees from content companies like Netflix in exchange for preferential treatment. 
  2. You might pay more for some services: If an ISP demands for more money from Netflix to carry its bandwidth-clogging video streams, that additional cost would most likely be shifted to the consumer. 
  3. You may have more speeds and services to choose from: FCC Chairman Ajit Pai argues that eliminating net neutrality will spur an investment in the ISP sector, allowing providers to develop new services. More investment could translate into more competition, which has the potential to benefit consumers and narrow the digital divide, or the gap between Americans who are online and those who aren't, Pai wrote in a May statement.  Yet critics say the main beneficiaries will likely be the biggest ISPs. Consumers often don't have much choice in which ISP they can use, unlike the choice they have in picking a brand of soda or clothing.  

What an FCC rollback of net neutrality may mean for you