Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul Markham
Welcome to the real world. Where a Skoda cost less than a Rolls Royce, fast food costs less than a fine steak.
Where 10 gb costs less than 1,000 gb.
Where you get the government you voted for. This has been on the cards for ages.
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Right now, with net neutrality, a Skoda costs less than a Rolls Royce, in the sense that, yes, 10 gb costs less than 1,000 gb. You got that part right
WITHOUT net neutrality, a Skoda
can cost the same as a Rolls Royce
if an ISP decides that it should.
Let me frame it another way.
It's like if electricity companies decided that you should pay depending on the type of devices you have in your home.
You have a fridge? Well, then the electricity companies will charge all fridge-making companies extra fees because fridges consume more electricity than light-bulbs so that electricity companies can create "fast lanes" for fridges which are in homes.
You have an electric car? Then the electric companies will have to charge electric-car companies extra for "fast lanes" for those electric cars that people have.
And we, the consumers, will obviously be absorbing these costs. Net result: we'll have lesser access, and end up paying more.
And these changes will have repercussions that we cannot predict right now, since so much of today's business happens over the net. Banking, health services, shopping.
Bandwidth is an utility, just like electricity under net neutrality rules. Take it away, and it becomes a luxury item.
And no, doing away with net neutrality will not bring back your "good ol' days"