by Charles Sumpter

Created on: August 12, 2008

However, complicated the issue, there are several key facets that Americans should pay close attention to when deciding to vote down on network neutrality. A few of those facets include larger government regulation, the destruction of "free internet", decreased innovation, and finally price controls will destroy the internet as we have come to know it.

Brief History

There are several definitions of what network neutrality actually means. In my opinion, however, there is no such thing as network neutrality. It is just a made up solution, for a made up answer; it in no way warrants the amount of attention that it is receiving. For all tense and purposes of this short memo, I will provide you with the more concise and comprehensive version provided by Tim Wu, who is credited with popularizing the term, "Network Neutrality is best defined as a network design principle. The idea that a maximally useful public information network aspires to treat all content, sites, and platforms equally. This allows the network to carry every form of information and support every kind of application."

In general, the goal is to provide equal and unabated internet to all those who seek to use the resource. This specific concept of trying to regulate communication goes all the way back to the onset of the telegraph in 1860.

Everyone in Congress today would agree that telecommunications reform is very important. Our nation as well as the world is becoming more and more connected through technology. Among the reforms needed most in this nation, network neutrality is not one of them. It is just a waste of time and should be left alone to the market to delegate.

Increased government regulation negativiely affects the market

All proponents of network neutrality are for increased government control and regulation; bigger government. Further government regulation will not benefit the market. Letting market forces dictate how business is conducted is a principle that you stand firmly on and so do your voters. The government should not be extending its hand into the dealing of how the internet works in the homes of every American.

Whenever something is overly regulated, especially by the government, it becomes bland and ineffective. By voting for network neutrality, what incentives do we give companies to flourish and upgrade their systems? Simply put, that will be the death of internet innovation. There will be no "super fast internet of the future" if network neutrality is allowed to pass.3 Your

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