Pro-Business Defence of Net Neutrality

The question is not should the net remain neutral but why must the net remain neutral.

In the end it is rather simple. Let us take the example of skype. Now an internet carrier looking at skype might see it and think hmmm, they are making a good deal of money over there I need to buy that. But let us say the skype people are perfectly happy to run skype and keep runnign skype and they don't want to sell. Alright, well the I as the internet carrier don't have to give you the bandwidth on my network to run your service. Not only that, but I am going to tack an internet roaming fee to anything coming to my customer's computers from your site. In addition I am going to launch my own version of skype which customers can use for free, which I am going to give the necessary bandwidth.

The above scenario is bullshit in that I made it up but also in that it is offensive to my sense of justice and fair play. It is however far from bullshit in that it is completely doable should net neutrality end.

Now to be fair, the internet provider is not trying to buy up skype on a whim, because they are evil people. They are simply people with a purpose, and that purpose is profit. If skype provides a service that people want and generates a profit it will necessarily and rightfully attract the interest of other businesses who will want to horn in on these profits.

However to allow the biggest businesses in the game crush any other smaller business they want any time they please to get at the other businesses customers, not by out performing the smaller business in service but by making the other business untenable will have a chilling effect on the creativity and invention of those who wish to provide innovation to the market.

I am no longer convinced that I am saying anything which has not been said thousands of other places before now, but the thoughts are original to me so what the hell.