Here's What Happens When Broadband Companies "Self-Regulate"

Lets see what history has to say about that.

So, have they?

This was before VPNs became as ubiquitous as they are now.

Back then, the only people who really used VPNs were doing so to access a work computer remotely.

Which made Cox and Comcasts choices to block them even weirder.

They were a regional broadband company that was caught blocking access toVonage.

2007Comcast throttles peer-to-peer programs: Now were starting to get to the heart of modern day net neutrality.

In 2007, Comcast was caught blocking or throttling access to BitTorrent.

That included blocking lots of legit files and uses for BitTorrent, like theKing James Bible.

Eventually, Comcast wastold to stop the practicein 2008.

Comcast is essentially giving preferential treatment to itself.

It was a big enough issue that NetflixCEO Reed Hastings chimed inagainst it.

This was referred to as an HOV lane in tech circles,nota fast lane.

Yeah, its stupid.

To fix the issue, Netflix would have to pay up for a direct path to the Comcast internet.

Eventually, the FCC decided that was a little fishy and decided it was ready tohear complaints about interconnection.

TheFCC decided that violated net neutrality rules.

For the record, the reasoning behind the ruling was because it inhibits competition.

Which, happily brings us to our last bullet point.

The FCC agrees that zero-rating defies net neutrality rules, but that doesnt seem to matter anymore.

They certainly dont have the best track record though.

While the last version of net neutrality wasnt perfect, at least there was some groundwork to build on.

These are all good things and there is stillplentyof room for competition.

Thats also assuming anyone has the willpower to actually keep an eye on the annoying things these companies do.