Author Topic: Net Neutrality policy  (Read 877 times)

Richard Gartside

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Net Neutrality policy
« on: July 11, 2017, 04:46:24 PM »
[size=12pt]Firstly I will start with a confession - I exceeded the word count, this is something that I accept is a demerit on my assignment, and I would be entitled to be fairly criticised for this on the course.

ok, so this was my submission[/size]

[hr]
[size=12pt]If I ruled the web, I would declare myself First Web Lord.

That accomplished, I would have to justify my position, so my next task would be to introduce a global Net Neutrality policy.

The policy should be simple enough for the average 12 year old to be able to understand, and seek to avoid legal or technical jargon.

The policy aims would be to establish a clear guideline to both users and suppliers to identify what a user can, and can not, expect from suppliers and clarify what the requirements on suppliers are.

Key outlines of the policy:
Access to the web is to be made available to all where practical
Users may not use disproportionate amounts of net resources to the detriment of other users
An international, independent arbitration system would be created to resolve any disputes over policy implementation

By creating a single, universal policy there would be a consistency no matter who was accessing the net, or where they were accessing it from - we call it the "world Wide Web" yet every region has its own rules and approach creating a very fragmented and uneven experience.

One of the biggest implications for the policy would be "mission creep" - the attempt to make it cover too broad a range of objectives. 
Another issue would be keeping it from becoming too bureaucratic or cumbersome to implement
By way of example, the EU has 3 separate regulations and directives governing net neutrality and open internet
https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/policies/open-internet-net-neutrality
Also a concern would be ensuring the regulatory bodies had the teeth to enforce the rules against non-compliance.  This could actually be a problem when dealing with national governments who may be resistant for political reasons to ensuring net neutrality, as the sanctions available may ultimately prove limited.[/size]