Effect of Possible Changes in Net Neutrality Law to Small Business

The new chairman of Federal Communications Commission Ajit Pai is not a proponent of view from previous chairman Tom Wheeler in net neutrality. He might change the net neutrality rule that will affect small business.

Ajit Pai has publicly criticized the net neutrality when he was a commissioner for the FCC during the Tom Wheeler era. His argument that net neutrality created too many regulations for broadband service provider to deliver better service by over protecting the smaller provider. He prefers to allow competition between the Internet service providers to deliver innovation to customers rather than regulating it with Open Internet.

In an interview with CNBC talk show “Squawk on the Street” on Wednesday Feb. 22, Pai stressed his point to allow competition between broadband provider. He said that the broadband provider has innovated in providing free data to Americans and that Internet should be managed by technologists, not by bureaucrats. The regulations should not micro manage the Internet and the Internet business.

“We create broad regulatory frameworks to protect consumers to ensure an overall competitive marketplace,” Pai told the interviewer David Faber. He later added that, “We shouldn't micromanage how these companies operate their businesses.”

Net neutrality means that regulator and Internet service provider should treat data on the Internet with similar treatment. There should be no discrimination based on the data content, platform, user, application, type of equipment and communication mode. Both former chairman Wheeler and current chairman Pai have different interpretation on the non discriminatory treatment.

Wheeler had more inclination on the data content, while Pai on the communication mode. However, many consider Wheeler’s view as the pro one, while Pai is the anti net neutrality. The different point of view made different implementation and different effects on small business as reported by Entrepreneur.

Pai’s view will give power to the ISP to prioritize the bandwidth based on the content, which discriminate the content provider. While on the other hand, Wheeler’s view will limit the power of ISP to control the bandwidth, which discriminate the communication mode.

Watch explanation regarding the truth about net neutrality below:

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Federal Communications Commission, FCC, Ajit Pai, net neutrality

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