Equality on the Web

President Barack Obama has intervened in the fierce debate that has run for several months in the United States about how Internet services should be regulated. With the new rules that it is soon to approve, Obama has asked the Federal Communications Commission to prevent in “the strongest possible” way Internet service providers, or ISPs, from offering faster downloadable content — or premium services — to those who pay for it. In May, the FCC proposed a new set of rules, which would open the door to a two-speed Internet by legalizing privileged access contracts.

The system would allow certain service providers to ensure some users a quicker download speed than others by paying a higher tariff. Up to now, users pay different tariffs depending on the bandwidth and capacity taken out on contract; hence, an ADSL connection and a fiber optic connection are priced differently because they are two different services, but the two-speed proposal would allow ISPs to discriminate between content traveling via either of these connections. The reaction to it was so overwhelming that the FCC opened a consultation period during which it received more than 4 million comments.

For Obama and supporters of net neutrality, these privileges would entail discriminating on the use of a basic service, both in terms of freedom of expression and information, as well as developing an economic activity. It would also restrict free competition as large providers could agree to pay premium prices, while small providers could not. Supporters of net neutrality think it is fundamental that an Amazon or Ikea web page should be downloadable at the same speed as that of a small business or humble blog.

But what is also certain is that the exponential increase in Internet traffic means telecommunications operators constantly need to increase their capacity and be innovative to deal with increasing demand, something which requires massive investment. In the regulations being developed, what must prevail in both the U.S. and Europe is the principle of non-discrimination and equal access for all content providers. And this need not mean hindering the search for other ways of facilitating the investment required in the telecommunications sector.