When Google and Verizon banned together to try and be the first to take advantage of nonexistent net neutrality regulations, the companys may have bitten off more than they can chew. To combat the Google-Verizon bill, four democratic lawmakers contacted the FCC chair, Julius Genachowski, stating that the bill introduced by the two major companies promotes an expansion in the digital divide. This is important because the matter of net neutrality is possibly the most important dispute of free speech in a very long time, and the digital divide is a subject gaining more and more popularity in the recent media. The digital divide is an unofficial line between the Internet have and have-nots. On one side of the gap, there are the people with the hardware, know-how, or both to grant themselves adequate and quick acces to a broadband service. On the other side, there are the few who suffer either educationally, geographically, or financially to achieve decent Internet. There are many places that have the technology for internet, but lack the skill or training to get online. It is important to close the gap in the digital divide because in doing so, internet access, along with everything included in access to the world wide web, will be granted to the user.
In the Google-Verizon bill to congress, the two companies introduce the idea of a monitored Internet patrolled by the FCC. If this were to happen, limitations would be put on wireless mobile devices as well. Reps. Edward Markey, Jay Inslee, Anna Eshoo, and Mike Doyle seemed to think that these regulations “could widen the digital divide by establishing a substandard, less open experience for traditionally underserved regions and demographic groups that may more often need to access or choose to access the Internet on a mobile device,” wrote the Representatives. What I think the Democrats are trying to say is that if strict regulations are put on mobile Internet, then it would impede some users connection speed or overall mobile internet experience that usually access the internet by means of a mobile device. While this is really one of the last ways that the digital divide is being widened, it certainly adds an interesting element to an already socially exciting argument. While the digital divide still has a long way to go before it becomes even remotely closed, it will be interesting to see how it evolves with it’s relationship to net neutrality.
Monday, October 25, 2010
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