Impacts of Not Preserving Net Neutrality: Tiered Internet Service

Impacts of Not Preserving Net Neutrality: Tiered Internet Service

1 INTRODUCTION
Net Neutrality is the principle that Internet users should be able to access any web content or use any application without restriction or limitation from their internet service provider [1]. Net neutrality can be further broken down into four core concepts as described by Daniel J. Weitzners, non-discriminatory routing of packets, user control choice over service levels, ability to create and use new services and protocols without approval of network operators and nondiscriminatory peering of backbone network [1]. A tiered internet service is a structure that allows user to choose and pay for the amount of bandwidth that best suits their need [2].
This paper is organized at follows, Section 2 discusses the background and history of net neutrality. Section 3 talks about tiered internet service and the arguments for and against it. Section 4 talks about the global consequences of net neutrality. Section 5 of this paper goes into an ethical analysis of tiered services.
2. BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFICANCE
In December 2005, 98 percent of broadband service stated that they had an interest in providing a multi-tiered internet service to user and also expressed desire to charge content providers more money for preferential access to their broadband service. As a result many content providers protested for a neutral internet, one that does not discriminate. Their effort led to the debates about net neutrality and a way to legislate and prevent ISP’s from creating a multi-tiered internet service [1]. The term net neutrality is coined by Professor Tim Wu, of Columbia University [3]. In 2010 the FCC created regulations for the “Open Internet”, these ruled prohibite...

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