The Computer Corner
By Charles Miller, March 23, 2007

Pile-up on the info superhighway

A few weeks back, I wrote in this column on the subject of “net neutrality” and advised this is a subject you will be seeing in the news and something everyone needs to watch.

The essence of the net neutrality issue concerns whether one type of internet traffic should be given priority over another, or whether all internet traffic should be given equal access. This is critically important to the future of freedom and innovation on the internet.

Technically, the different types of internet traffic are inherently unequal. Some traffic, such as phone calls and streaming video, are inelastic and require high priority or they cease to work properly. Other traffic is more elastic and can cope with delays or slower connections without serious degradation in its usability.

The TCP/IP internet protocols were designed from the beginning with the ability to assign priority to each data packet on the internet. For years, that never came into play because the internet lacked the technical capacity to put this prioritizing into practice—but that is changing. The telecoms and cablecos are ready to start prioritizing data they transmit.

Working its way through the US Congress now is H.R. 5252, the Communications Opportunity, Promotion, and Enhancement Act of 2006 (COPE Act). What happens in the US is going to have a ripple effect worldwide.

The proponents of COPE hold that the telecoms and cablecos that make up the infrastructure of the internet need to be able to reclassify the data they transmit in order to provide better quality of service (QoS).

The opponents of COPE say the law is designed essentially to give the telecom and cable TV companies monopoly control of the internet by continuing earlier rulings that reduced internet competition and drove many ISPs from the marketplace.

Internet users and most all internet websites fear that if the telecoms and cablecos are allowed to control the traffic on the “information superhighway” that they will violate net neutrality principles in pursuit of greater profits.

Some of these companies, including AT&T, Verizon and Comcast, have already dropped some hints concerning their desire to create “tiers” of service and to charge accordingly. Accordingly? According to whom? That is the big question, because while people on both sides of the argument agree that QoS is important, they cannot agree on who should be in control of it.

What many fear is that the telcoms and cablecos will be able to use their position to unfairly interfere with their competition. For example, the telcoms could block VoIP calls on their internet service in order to force customers to use their own, more expensive, telcom phone services. The cablecos in the business of selling pay-per-view products could block their customers from being able to access similar products at a lower price via the internet.

Those are hypothetical situations, but ones that loom as a real possibility when the internet providers have the technical ability to eliminate or interfere with access to sites that compete with their own marketing activities. It is naïve to believe they will not act in defense of their own interests.

This is a subject likely to affect everyone who uses the internet, so it is something everyone should watch for in the news in the months to come.

Charles Miller is a freelance computer consultant, a frequent visitor to San Miguel since 1981 and now practically a full-time resident. He may be contacted at 044-415-101-8528 or email FAQ@SMAguru.com.