A Brief History

Open Internet

Jeremy Brooks “The Internet Is Open” Copyright: CC BY–NC. <https://www.flickr.com/photos/jeremybrooks/4059116681>

Although the history of the modern internet is limited to the past 30 years, the basis of net neutrality began much earlier. In 1934 with Franklin Roosevelt signed the Communications Act into law.  Title II of the act designated telephone companies as “common carriers” (“Net Neutrality Overview”). These common carriers were required to treat all phone calls the same way. Nearly a century ago the idea that all traffic on a network should be treated equally was put into law. This principal transferred directly into the foundations of the internet. Traditionally, it didn’t matter if a user searched for a small webpage like this one, or Netflix.com, there was no prioritization for larger websites. It wasn’t until 2002 that the FCC reclassified cable modem services as “information services” and effectively lifting the regulations designated in Title II of the Communication’s Act (“Net Neutrality Overview”). Some argued that Title II was outdated and over regulated internet service providers (ISPs). With the new classification, the internet was “free” from government control. That was until ISPs began to abuse their new freedoms. Only five years later, the massive media company , Comcast, began slowing down traffic to BITtorrent (Kang 1). This is a prime example of network prioritization. Essentially, Comcast was able to manipulate web traffic by slowing user’s attempts to reach BITtorrent. While it is undeniable that BITtorrent was a host site for illegal downloads, the practice set a dangerous precedent that threatened the future of Net Neutrality. Fortunately the FCC saw this abuse of power as a problem and attempted to go after Comcast to defend Net Neutrality. While the FCC eventually lost in court, it laid the groundwork for future attempts at upholding Net Neutrality. After five years of struggling in courts and growing public support for Net Neutrality, the FCC voted in favor of regulating ISPs under Title II once again in February of 2015 (Wang 1). The decision has strengthened Net Neutrality and the chances of preserving a free and open internet. However, this is not the end of the battle to save Net Neutrality. Large companies like Verizon and Comcast won’t give up easily. For more news in the world of Net Neutrality, be sure to check out the tab above titled “In Recent News” in order to stay up to date on the issue. Additionally, if you would like to play a role in preserving data equality for all users, feel free to browse the “What Can You Do?” section above.

Citations

Kang, Cecilia. “Court Rules for Comcast over FCC in ‘net Neutrality’ Case.” Washington Post. The Washington Post, 07 Apr. 2010. Web. 25 Mar. 2016. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/06/AR2010040600742.html>.

“Net Neutrality Overview.” » Net Neutrality Overview. Congressional Digest, 16 May 2006. Web. 25 Mar. 2016. <http://congressionaldigest.com/issue/network-neutrality/net-neutrality-overview/>.

Wang, Shuli. “The FCC’s Net Neutrality Rules on Protecting and Promoting Open Internet | JOLT Digest.” JOLT Digest RSS. Harvard Journal of Law & Technology, 23 Mar. 2015. Web. 25 Mar. 2016. <http://jolt.law.harvard.edu/digest/telecommunications/the-fccs-net-neutrality-rules-on-protecting-and-promoting-open-internet>.