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Pros And Cons Of Net Neutrality

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The Ongoing Debate on Net Neutrality The debate over public methods of communication have been going on for over 200 years, and it is no surprise that it is still continuing to this day. Recent attempts to repeal laws regarding net neutrality in the U.S has reignited this debate; sparking discussion as to the pros and cons of the law. In this paper I will give several arguments as to both sides, including what a possible repeal of net neutrality laws will mean for the average consumer. As well as the effects on internet service providers (ISP’s) and their services. To begin, we will look at the pros a repeal of net neutrality will have on consumers. First off, one could see time sensitive data, such as live streaming, gaming, and voice chat, …show more content…

For example, Sprint attempted to offer a service which offered unlimited talk, text and a social media plan of the consumers’ choice. Such a deal would attract consumers who primarily used their mobile device for social media, and did not need a full spectrum of services. However, under scrutiny that their plan may violate net neutrality laws, the plan was ultimately scrapped (Lyons, 2017). In many cases, especially this one, net neutrality laws prevented a service that would benefit consumers from taking place. Were net neutrality to be repealed, services like these that cater to various consumer needs could be more …show more content…

To start off, there is the argument that without net neutrality, small businesses and consumers will be hurt due to ISP’s favoring those who pay the highest price. Without a system in place to provide checks and balances on what these ISP’s are doing, they have the power to essentially discriminate as to what speeds your connection will run on, as opposed to having all traffic flow at the same speeds. Many call this an attack on consumers, and say that it “will profoundly change the Internet as a platform for free speech and small-scale innovation” (Madrigal, 2014). While this is all simply speculation, I would believe that most consumers know what can happen in a market where there is little to no

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