The FCC’s approval of AT&T’s acquisition of BellSouth has reinvigorated net neutrality proponents, who believe that ISPs must treat all Internet content equally. To earn the FCC’s blessing over the merger, AT&T had to promise that it would not prioritize the bits and bytes passing over its network, according to Ars Technica.
In early 2006, telecom companies began threatening, essentially, to charge Internet content providers premiums depending on the amount of bandwidth their content required, so AT&T’s vow to treat Internet content equally represents a dramatic shift for the company. Consumer and net neutrality advocates hope AT&T’s 180 will lead Congress to pass legislation preventing ISPs from controlling which content gets priority over their networks.
Related Links:
What is the Net Neutrality Debate About?
- Senate Panel Rejects Net Neutrality
— Meridith Levinson
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