Recently, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai has announced to favour repeal the net neutrality.
This may affect the very concept, for which, Internet has gained so much popularity, and will most definitely harm the small business. Here’s the detailed analysis of the same fact:
Concept of Net Neutrality
The basic principle of net neutrality is to provide fair, equally internet content accessible to everyone. It prevents major telecom giants like Comcast, Verizon, AT &T to regulate what you access in the online world.
They can control the speeds of the content displayed on specific websites, limit their access or can even charge an additional fee to access a particular set of information available on the internet. This blog from TribeLocal goes in detail about the evolution of concept, and where we currently are, along with what steps you can take to help in non-repealing of net neutrality.
How it works?
Everyone is aware of the cable TV subscription, where you need to pay extra money to get access to premium channels. You don’t have access to all the TV channels. Similarly, if the net neutrality is not repealed, it can be harmful to the small business.
The repeal can cause the internet service providers to develop a fast lane where the user can easily get access to the premium website instantly and other websites will load slowly and they would be difficult to access. This will be a huge barrier for small business and start-ups as they would not be able to reach the target audience.
In short, the fast lanes will be occupied by big companies and influential people, whereas the remaining population will be left with the slow lane, if FCC’s Chairman Pai goes in favour of its repealing. The top tech giants like Google, Facebook and Amazon can easily pay for the fast lane as they have enough funds. But, the small business and start-ups will not be able to afford the price.
Benefit of Net Neutrality for Your Small Business and Harms of its Non-existence
See what we will lose if net neutrality is ceased to exist. Here are a few benefits, it currently delivers:
1. Promotes innovation
The Internet is a place where everyone can showcase their skills and talent. It is an excellent place for all emerging start-ups and individuals to be innovative. A single video can easily go viral and the person can be raised to the instant fame. All this is possible only by net neutrality.
2. Healthy competition
The Internet is an open space; it is same for small business as well as large business and media house. Everyone is contributing their best to deliver high quality and fast services to the end user. But after the repealing of net neutrality it won’t is same. The internet service provider can control the access of the content they want to see you.
3. Same access to everyone
Right now, everyone can access everything on the internet without paying anything additional. Without net neutrality, the services providers can provide faster lanes to the top companies and by this survival of small business will be difficult. Additionally, they can also charge more money to deliver their services at a faster speed.
4. Global Reach
The main goal of every business is profit generation and to reach the global audience. But, repealing of net neutrality is harmful to your small business. If the internet was not a neutral place, the tech giants like Facebook, Zomato, Google, and Amazon would not have been able to reach the global audience.
Currently, the local business is spreading across the world. Their contents can be easily accessed by the global audience without paying any extra money. But, if there is no net neutrality, the internet service providers will have total control over all the websites. They will add only those websites to the fast lane who are paying the money, this will totally eliminate healthy competitions and eventually. Users will also have to suffer since they get limited access to the data.
