EU to abandon net neutrality on Internet speed

[Rainman05]

EU to abandon net neutrality on Internet speed | Business News | DW.DE | 17.07.2013

German business daily Handelsblatt has reported the EU Commission plans to allow Internet providers to charge customers for higher speeds and better service quality. The policy is part of new EU rules on Internet access.

Content Providers and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) were free to negotiate agreements on volume tariffs and different qualities of data transmission for Internet users, Handelsblatt quoted the document as saying.

The new rule would undo the EU's previous policy of ensuring so-called network neutrality - a principle which states that ISPs must not give any content preferential treatment and that any video, article or web page should get just as much bandwidth as another.
Supporters of net neutrality warn that if the policy is abandoned, ISPs will create fast lanes for web traffic on which content from paying providers will be given priority of those who don't pay.

Earlier this year, Rösler was one of the staunchest critics of attempts by German telecoms giant Deutsche Telekom to impose data limits on Internet connections. After a public outcry, the company eventually gave up its plan to throttle the speed for heavy Internet users.

Now this isn't really something that will affect private people, or at least, not initially. So if you are a private citizen and want to get high speed internet, it doesn't really mean much for you. It's about companies and corporations who need massive internet traffic to work... like for instance youtube, amazon or a news outlet. So yeah.

This basically means that ISPs who win the contract to service large companies who need massive amounts of internet traffic can be a lot more lucrative. Is this good? Is it bad? I don't know.

 

[PeteEU]

EU to abandon net neutrality on Internet speed | Business News | DW.DE | 17.07.2013






Now this isn't really something that will affect private people, or at least, not initially. So if you are a private citizen and want to get high speed internet, it doesn't really mean much for you. It's about companies and corporations who need massive internet traffic to work... like for instance youtube, amazon or a news outlet. So yeah.

This basically means that ISPs who win the contract to service large companies who need massive amounts of internet traffic can be a lot more lucrative. Is this good? Is it bad? I don't know.

They need to get this past the EU parliament first and considering the Pirate Party and its allies torpedoed a previous attempt, then well..

 

[itandrew]

I didn't understand the effect this would have on the privates. Just sounds bad, but even inevitable with that internet growth...

 

[Helix]

i'm pro-neutrality. it's a real advantage for the little guy, and that's what makes the internet work. i don't want facebook getting preferential treatment over DP just because it is huge and has a bunch of money.

 

[itandrew]

Ok, just realised that internet won't be that "free" anymore after this...

 

[Rainman05]

Ok, just realised that internet won't be that "free" anymore after this...

If this bill passes, the impact on household consumers won't really exist. It's the same thing.
if today you can get 100MB internet with 20euros lets say in germany, same price will be even if this passes.

This law will affect commercial consumers. Like large companies (youtube, amazon, google, etc) which need/rely on very large bandwidths to function.
The downside is that maybe a startup company which relies on internet traffic massively may get screwed over because he will have to pay a bigger price for a large internet connection.

 

[itandrew]

If this bill passes, the impact on household consumers won't really exist. It's the same thing.
if today you can get 100MB internet with 20euros lets say in germany, same price will be even if this passes.

This law will affect commercial consumers. Like large companies (youtube, amazon, google, etc) which need/rely on very large bandwidths to function.
The downside is that maybe a startup company which relies on internet traffic massively may get screwed over because he will have to pay a bigger price for a large internet connection.

So the richer you are the more visibility or advantages on internet you get. By now is even too much like that, and I don't like it. If it will be totally like this, the freedom on internet will be limited I guess... (For who produce and upload something = for who read/watch)...

 

[Rainman05]

So the richer you are the more visibility or advantages on internet you get. By now is even too much like that, and I don't like it. If it will be totally like this, the freedom on internet will be limited I guess... (For who produce and upload something = for who read/watch)...

Well... it will be commercially available to all at a cheap price. again, households won't feel much of a difference. or at least shouldn't.

I'm not in favor of dropping net neturality and I am not in favor of keeping it. I haven't made up my mind yet. I'm just saying what I understand it means.