From Wikipedia:
Net Neutrality is a principle proposed for residential broadband networks and potentially for all networks. A neutral broadband network is one that is free of restrictions on content, sites, or platforms, on the kinds of equipment that may be attached, and on the modes of communication allowed, as well as one where communication is not unreasonably degraded by other communication streams.
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Neutrality proponents claim that telecom companies seek to impose a tiered service model more for the purpose of profiting from their control of the pipeline rather than for any demand for their content or services. Others have stated that they believe net neutrality to be primarily important as a preservation of current freedoms. Vinton Cerf, co-inventor of the Internet Protocol, Tim Berners Lee, father of the web, and many others have spoken out strongly in favour of network neutrality.
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Opponents of net neutrality include large hardware companies and members of the cable and telecommunications industries.
Need a concrete example?
A 3 minute track download from iTunes: 79 p
A 30 second ringtone downloaded from an operator: £3
One of these services treats the 1s and 0s as equal. One of them treats them as a ‘premium’ service.
Can you guess which one?
This is why the AppStore is so attractive. A local developer was selling his app for mobile phones via operators for €6 and receiving about €1.50 revenue from it. The rest of it going to the operators. His app on the AppStore sells for £2.99 and he gets more than £2.00 from every sale.
One of these services treats the 1s and 0s as equal. One of them treats them as a ‘premium’ service.
Can you guess which one?