Network Discrimination: Things You Should Know

You must have heard of network discrimination or Network Neutrality and many of you might have even been part of the outcry in some way to save the internet- the right to the open internet. We are living in the internet age where network is the core of any kind of progress, to build connections and for the growth of the digital universe. Our next generation will be fully dependent on the Internet. But there is some conflict related to the current Internet scenario.

Here we will understand what Network Neutrality is and what this hullabaloo is all about.

What is Network Neutrality?

Network Neutrality is defined as the principle that guides and controls the Internet and ISPs (Internet Service Providers). It means that all the Network Providers (ISPs) operate open networks with equal speed for all, without dividing the internet content in service tiers.

Understanding Network neutrality will become easier when we understand Network Discrimination.

What is Network Discrimination?

Many ISPs are in favor of practicing discrimination over Network. In simpler words, they want to block network against any application or content that is run on their networks. Many ISPs want to discriminate the internet network into the fast path and the slow path. With network discrimination, the ISP can transfer its competitors’ content in the slow tier. This works completely against the Open Internet and Net Neutrality.

How Open Internet or the Net Neutrality will affect tvpshe businesses?

Net Neutrality will enable all websites, small or large, to be given equal treatment by the Network or Internet Service providers.

In simpler words, if Net Neutrality prevails, more businesses, especially the small businesses will have much chance to grow and can be commercially successful. But on the other hand, if net neutrality fails to remain there, big companies will become bigger.

Net neutrality allows data to flow equally. So, open internet is operated in the interests of common people. On the other hand, if there will be network discrimination, there will be ‘pay to play’ practice where the companies will need to pay to the internet service providers to keep their websites running faster than that of their competitors. So, the larger companies have an advantage over the growing small companies as paying such hefty amount is not a big deal for already established enterprises. Whereas it can be a roadblock for many small businesses who have just stepped into the market.

The conflict

There is an obvious conflict of interests over the open Internet, which is still on. The big investors and large companies favor closed internet while the Government does not want the internet to be regulated by these ISPs. In fact Government supports Internet to be a public utility.

Closed internet may be a threat to economic growth and it is also considered as an agent of capitalism. This is why governments and ISP related authorities are taking time to take any action on this matter.