From the Desk of

Kevin Tracy

2009-10-22

I know most of my readers hate government regulation, but I'm totally convinced it's necessary this time. For those of you who were readers in 2008, you'll know my support for Obama was based on 3 things.

1. John McCain was a terrible Republican
2. Obama would change the direction of our Foreign Policy
3. Network Neutrality

Well, we put John McCain in his place, I'm generally pleased with the direction Obama has taken our foreign policy, and now I'm about to get Network Neutrality. Amazing, I'm a Republican who voted for Obama and actually got what I was hoping for!

Anyway, network neutrality is the principle that pretty much says that Internet Service Providers (Comcast, AT&T, Cox, and others) provide you access to the Internet and don't discriminate and provide better, faster service to some content more than other content.

In other words, you can listen to streaming audio from Travis on his podcast just as easily as you can listen to streaming audio from blogtalkradio.com. Without network neutrality, Blog Talk Radio could pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to Comcast to provide faster, higher quality speed to their website and slow down or even block access to Travis' website. Travis, of course, doesn't have hundreds of thousands of dollars to pay, so he's going to be completely shafted in this process.

Now, imagine the political ramifications of this. Imagine if MSNBC, CNN, CBS, and Hollywood liberals were the highest bidders. Do you think they'd be friendly to smaller conservative outlets? Have you seen how they've been covering the "Fairness Doctrine?"

Opponents to network neutrality argue that this would give the government an arm into the Internet to regulate our online behavior.

WRONG! Network neutrality, if enforced, would be a regulating demanding that ISPs and large media groups DON'T regulate our online behavior. In fact, the government ALREADY regulates the Internet. I mean, we can't send e-mails planning to commit acts of violence, money raised from online businesses is taxable, states require us to pay sales taxes on online purchases, there is content that is considered illegal, there is other content that you must be a certain age to view, and the list goes on. The government doesn't need Network Neutrality to regulate the Internet - the Internet is already regulated.

It's bloggers, content providers, and online businesses who need network neutrality so we can continue to try our ideas, products, and services in a free, open, and international marketplace. Competition is critical for capitalism to work, and the reason the Internet has worked so well for so many millions of people around the world is because of network neutrality. It must be protected and I'm glad the FCC and the Obama Administration are working to keep their word on the issue.