Coming soon: Net neutrality

Federal Communications Commission chairman Julius Genachowski is expected to outline rules on Monday that would require Internet providers to treat all web traffic equally. Central to the plan is stopping Internet companies from blocking or slowing web traffic that consumes large amounts of bandwidth.

Some providers have sought to restrict or regulate the flow of streaming video or other applications that put a strain on their networks. And these Internet providers, such as Comcast, Verizon and At&T, would like to charge companies that offer entertainment or certain types of goods and services extra fees for offering faster connections. Many consumer groups see this as restricting commerce and limiting access.

Genachowski is also expected to propose that the rules against blocking or slowing web traffic will also apply to wireless-phone companies. And that is a real sore spot for wireless carriers that want control over the data that travels over their networks. The proposals will spark a battle over how much control the government should have over Internet and wireless commerce. If the FCC rule goes into effect, opponents believe it will weigh down a carrier's networks and degrade good service.

In addition, wireless carriers will have to rethink how much they charge for service, Julie Ask, a wireless analyst at Jupiter Research, told the Wall Street Journal.

What does this mean for business users of the Internet? If you are a company increasingly relying on the Internet to sell your products or connect with your customers, it may be good news. "Any company or piece of software that becomes popular, generating a lot of traffic, would tend to benefit," Jonathan Zittrain, the co-founder of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University, told the Wall Street Journal.

But it could ultimately force increases in the cost of your network, an idea that many do not appreciate.

For more on net neutrality:
- check out this Wall Street Journal article   

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