Earlier today, FCC voted to revoke the “net neutrality” safeguards that had denied the cable and phone companies an opportunities to stifle bandwidth and web traffic to and from companies who refuse to pay certain amounts. It was voted down by a 3-2 difference and although there is still a lot to be done ahead, but, this decision caused a huge wave of despair across the netizens as soon as the news came out about it. The general feeling is “Net neutrality died.”
This decision’s possible implications for gamers is not yet clear, and it might take months or even years before we all face the long-term impact of this repeal. The fact is, if you are an internet user, this affects you. There are a lot of imaginary conjectures and scenarios being floated; however, as far as we see it, it is discomforting to find out that a company such as Comcast would gain control of which of your favorite websites, streaming sites or shopping sites you visit.
At present, the speed and ease at which a website loads is purely dependent upon the ping and connection speed. However, imagine the future when you can’t access a particular streaming service or website which is owned by (let’s say) Time Warner because Time Warner is a rival of Comcast. You are paying for your internet access, and as long as you are not doing illegal things or visiting illegal websites, you must be able to visit whichever website you want. Right?
Not only this but, there are other chaotic factors employed here as well. In case you wish to know what happened behind the scenes, there are reports about the leading cable and internet providers all over the world donating massive amounts to Republicans, and three out of five FCC commissioners happen to be republicans. That calls for a fact-checking and what if there is a clearly established influence to be discovered? No matter what, it just doesn’t look good.
At the same time, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai is trying to convince you that it is nothing big. Relax, you internet peasants. You will still be allowed to post your dog or your meal’s photos on Instagram, even after this is through, because, isn’t that all you dimwits out there use the internet for? Right? In case, the video here doesn’t compel you to want to talk to your local representatives and go up in protest then we don’t know what else would. Check out how the super-rich Pai is making fun of you here:
Keep following and wait for further information. Go ahead read more about Net Neutrality and ask what can be done to get your voice heard. You can also check here, how the other members of the industry are responding to this development.
