Neutrality Of The Internet Essay

It’s been named a fad, designated as doomed to collapse, and even populated with entertaining cat videos. The Internet we use today is not much older than a teenager. It’s a college student ready to enter the workforce and realize its full potential. But already, the Internet has undergone significant changes and revolutionized society. Over the next five years, developments in speed, bandwidth, and accessibility will continue to be made. These improvements will allow sharing information, connecting with family, and conducting business online to become easier than ever.

While the Internet has improved society in many ways, potential problems have risen with its increasing popularity. The rise of a data driven society has lead to the fear of an Orwellian society similar to the one in “Minority Report”. In this movie, the path of a persons’ life is predetermined and free choice is non existent. A more realistic concern, however, is the Internet falling under the control of powerful corporations, causing free speech to be stifled. The best way to alleviate this concern is to safeguard net neutrality, the principle which keeps the Internet free and open.

Since the inception of the Internet, the content on it has remained free and accessible to everyone.

But recently, large Internet service providers have lobbied the Federal Communications Commission to rule against net neutrality. Under the rules of net neutrality, access to all websites and web services must remain equal. Anyone is able to start their own website and make it accessible to anyone on the web. Without net neutrality, wealthy corporations could pay to have their online services promoted – and rival services blocked, prohibiting competition. Without net neutrality, ISP’s could also purposefully slowdown websites and demand extra fees from customers to speed them up. Imagine paying your ISP an additional five dollars a month just to access to

Facebook.
Fortunately, the outlook for net neutrality isn't completely grim. Greatly influenced by the outcry of millions of Americans and web services, the FCC upheld the rules of net neutrality in the spring of 2015. This new ruling stated that ISP's cannot block lawful content, slow down specific content, or accept fees that favor certain content (Ruiz). While this is a step in the right direction, the ruling only confirmed what was already established. Powerful ISP’s must be kept in check as they will continue to fight against net neutrality.
The Internet has made life more efficient in a countless number of ways. We stay better connected through social media, speak face to face with relatives thousands of miles away with Skype, and order products online with the single click of a button. These innovations have only become widespread in the past five years. With innovation occurring at such a fast rate, what can we expect five years from now?
One possibility is more wearable technology. Wristbands such as Fitbit and Jawbone can already measure physical activity and aid in leading a more healthy lifestyle. In five years, it may be possible to add similar technology to your favorite jewelry by applying a thin film embedded with sensors. This sort of innovation will only be possible with a great amount of effort and interest in such a product. In April of 2015, the Apple Watch was released and was purchased by a few million consumers. With a little bit of time and interest, wearable technology will gain a greater influence in our daily lives.
Another possibility is that in five years, technology will be built into more household appliances. An example of this would be a thermostat adjusting household temperatures based on biometric readings from a smartwatch. Another example could be a refrigerator automatically creating a shopping list based on what it senses being out of stock. A limitation which must be considered, however, is the issue of privacy with all of this technology in our lives. Past government’s have seriously invaded the privacy and spied on its citizens. What would be possible in the future with even more intrusive technology? Who would be able to stop them from doing so?
Once certainty is that in five years more people will be on the Internet than ever before. It’s been predicted that in five years, more than half the population will be online. Some are predicting as many as 3.8 billion people being online. The largest area of Internet growth will be in the mobile broadband area, where connections will double by 2020 (GSMA). As consumers move away from cable Internet providers, satellite Internet connections will also be seen as a viable alternative. Satellite Internet is becoming increasingly popular in rural areas where cable connections are not feasible.
As exciting as it is to speculate about the future of the Internet, nothing is certain. The progress made in the next five years could surpass anything imaginable. But it could also fall short of our lowest expectations. Regardless, the Internet is a revolutionary tool which has made the lives of billions of people easier.