网络中立(Net Neutrality)性最近一直是争论的话题，可能人们仍在争论几年前出现的新规则。这篇文章用简单的术语解释了网络中立(Neutrality)的真正含义，为什么重要，利弊，它如何影响人们在互联网(Internet)上尝试某些东西和新的请愿书，以及已经引入辩论的规则和裁决，以及举一两个例子。我使用了“尝试”这个词，因为它打算涵盖最终用户、网站，甚至是基于互联网(Internet)的初创公司。
什么是网络中立性 – 定义
网络中立性的本义是所有互联网流量(Internet traffic)（数据）都应该被平等对待，不应该优先考虑某个来源的数据包而不是在互联网(Internet)上传输的其他数据。换句话说，互联网上的所有网站都应该以您的(Internet)ISP提供的相同平均速度运行。
当一些ISP(ISPs)决定为希望为其订户提供更流畅体验的网站收取额外费用时，问题就出现了。然后这些费用由网站转嫁给最终用户。还有一些免费网站可能无法向ISP付费，因此在(ISPs)Internet上的速度会变慢。
另一个重要的例子是，一家成熟的电子商务商店(e-commerce store)会向ISP付费，加载速度会更快，而另一个销售量较少的电子商务商店(e-commerce store)可能无法加载那么快。这将产生对加载速度更快的商店的偏见，从而吸引平均速度商店(speed store)的客户。
网络中立——(Neutrality –)实际发生了什么？
在某些情况下，互联网服务提供商(ISPs)故意放慢流行网站的数据速度，以从这些网站中提取资金。例如，Netflix是一个视频流媒体网站。(Netflix)并且它向不同的ISP(ISPs)支付了大量的费用，以便用户可以观看视频而不会因缓冲等而中断。
在今年的辩论之前，康卡斯特(Comcast)曾提起诉讼，称它正在放慢Netflix的速度，以推广自己的付费视频。由于有线电视上的本地视频比互联网(Internet)上的流媒体更快，因此大多数人会浏览Comcast自己的图书馆来租用视频，而不是查看Netflix或类似网站。
据科技雷达报道，
“ISPs are receiving money from their subscribers to access the internet, including Netflix. Now they’re receiving money from Netflix to access those same customers.”
如果您仔细阅读上述内容，您将自动理解Netflix会将这些额外费用转嫁给其客户，以实现流畅观看（更多带宽）。
谁因网络中立而受苦？
最先受苦的当然是最终用户。他们的订阅费用增加了，因此他们必须支付更多费用才能以较低的价格获得与以前相同的内容。
这种类型的付费流媒体对仍在努力生存的网站尤其有害。新来者和初创公司将很难在现有的竞争中找到一席之地。仅仅(Just)因为他们付不起额外费用，他们的网站就会很慢。如果他们支付费用并将费用转嫁给客户（最终用户），他们的营业额就会受到影响。假设有人对(Suppose someone)Facebook的替代方案有很好的想法。他们免费实施它。由于Facebook能够付款，因此它的速度更快，而初创公司因无法向ISP(ISPs)付款而遭受损失。
网络中立性裁决
联邦通信(Communications)委员会(Commission)( FCC(Federal) ) 提出了适用于所有ISP的三项(ISPs)规则(FCC)。
第一条规则是关于透明度(transparency)的。所有ISP(ISPs)都必须保存记录并每隔几个月发布一份性能报告。(performance report)该性能报告(performance report)将包含有关其流量的所有信息，代表ISP或(ISPs)ISP用于通信数据的底层有线电视公司的任何违规行为，以及阻止任何内容或向任何网站收费以获得更快的带宽。
第二条规则是关于不非法阻止条件(not blocking conditions unlawfully)。可以说，某个特定网站是应政府要求而被封锁的，但这也将受到公众的审查，以了解为何需要封锁该网站。另一个方面是从网站上拿钱来阻止其竞争对手或 ISP 自己的竞争对手。
第三条规则有点抽象，因为它的含义无法正确解码。它说，如果用户为更高的速度付费，ISP 就不能降低互联网速度。(ISPs cannot slow down the Internet speed)有时(Sometimes)，一些ISP(ISPs)会减慢网站速度，因为他们希望在用于通信（数据传输）的不同带宽之间保持平衡。这被称为“商业上不合理”。目前尚不清楚有多少互联网(Internet)速度下降是“商业上不合理的”，因此应该对所有类型的(’ and hence)互联网(Internet)套餐提供同等重要性。ISP(ISPs)有不同的包提供不同的速度。如果ISP(ISP)不符合规则减慢较低的包装持有人，为更高速度的包装(speed package)持有人提供更好的速度。
网络中立的未来
互联网(Internet)活动家和言论自由支持者与FCC和 ISP(FCC and ISPs)站在一起。他们希望不惜一切代价维持网络中立性。他们认为上述规则很容易被违反，而透明度对于提供适当的服务没有多大帮助。这些活动家中有很大一部分希望将互联网(Internet)归类为“公用事业”，以便政府可以使用市政无线(Municipal wireless)或其自己的宽带网络。宽带的使用主要依赖于有线线路，也依赖于无线。市政无线(Municipal wireless)已经可以作为昂贵的ISP(ISPs)的替代品。一旦上网(Internet)被归类为公用事业，由于人们可以切换到政府宽带，因此(government broadband)ISP(ISPs)篡改速度的可能性较小。
更新(UPDATE)： 2017 年12 月(Dec 2017)，美国 FCC(US FCC)决定终止网络中立(Net Neutrality)。让我们看看现在的未来会怎样……
听说过物联网吗？(Heard of Internet Of Things?)
What is Net Neutrality? Definition, Pros and Cons, Debate
Net Neutrality has been a subject of debate recently, and probably people are still debating the new rules that emerged a few years back. This post explains what is Net Neutrality really about in simple terms, why is it important, pros and cons, how it affects people trying something on the Internet and the new petitions and, the rules and rulings that have been brought in for debate, along with an example or two. I used the word “trying” as it intends to cover end-users, websites, and even Internet-based startups.
What is Net Neutrality – Definition
The original meaning of net neutrality says that all the Internet traffic (data) should be treated as equal and no data packets of a certain origin should be favored over other data traveling on the Internet. In other words, all the websites on the Internet should be working at the same average speed provided by your ISP.
Problems began when some ISPs decided that they should charge extra for websites that want to provide a smoother experience to their subscribers. These charges are then passed on to the end-users by the websites. Then there are free websites that may not be able to pay to the ISPs and therefore will be slower on the Internet.
Another important example is that a well-established e-commerce store will pay the ISP and will load faster while another e-commerce store that sells less may not be able to load that fast. That would create a bias towards the store which loads faster and thereby luring off the customers of the average speed store.
Net Neutrality – What’s Actually Happening?
There have been cases where the ISPs were deliberately slowing up data from popular websites to extract money from those sites. Netflix, for example, is a video streaming site. And it pays a good amount of money to different ISPs so that users can watch the videos without interruptions due to buffering, etc.
Before this year’s debate, there was a lawsuit on Comcast that it was slowing down Netflix to promote its own paid videos. Since local videos on cable are faster than the one streaming from the Internet, most people would browse Comcast’s own library to rent a video rather than checking into Netflix or similar sites.
According to Tech Radar,
“ISPs are receiving money from their subscribers to access the internet, including Netflix. Now they’re receiving money from Netflix to access those same customers.”
If you read the above carefully, you will automatically understand that Netflix will pass on those extra charges for smooth viewing (more bandwidth), to its customers.
Who suffers due to Net Neturality?
Among the first to suffer, are the end-users, of course. Their subscription charges increase, so they have to pay more to get the same content they used to get earlier at lower rates.
This type of paid streaming is especially harmful to websites that are still struggling to survive. The newcomers and startups will find it hard to find a place among the already existing competition. Just because they cannot afford to pay extra, their sites will be slow. And in case they pay up and pass on the charges to customers (end users), their turnover is affected. Suppose someone has a good idea of an alternative to Facebook. And they implement it free of cost. Since Facebook is able to pay, it gets better speed while the startup suffers because it cannot pay the ISPs.
Net Neutrality rulings
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) came up with three rules that apply to all the ISPs.
The first rule is about transparency. All ISPs will have to maintain records and publish a performance report every few months. This performance report will have all information about their traffic, any irregularities on behalf of ISPs or underlying cable companies used by ISP to communicate data, and blocking of any content or charging any website for faster bandwidth.
The second rule is about not blocking conditions unlawfully. It may be said that a particular website is blocked upon request from the government, but that too will be under public scrutiny as to why the need came up to block the site. Another aspect is taking money from a site to block its competitors or the ISP’s own competitors.
The third rule is a little abstract as its meaning cannot be decoded properly. It says ISPs cannot slow down the Internet speed if a user is paying for higher speeds. Sometimes, some ISPs slow down websites as they wish to maintain balance among the different bandwidths they use for communications (data traveling). And this is said to “commercially unreasonable”. It is not clear as to how many falls in the speed of Internet would be ‘commercially unreasonable’ and hence should provide equal importance to all types of Internet packages. ISPs have different packages offering different speeds. It will not be in compliance with the rule if the ISP slows down lower package holders to provide better speed to higher speed package holders.
Future of Net Neutrality
The Internet activists and free speech supporters are up in arms against the FCC and ISPs. They want Net Neutrality to be maintained at all costs. They believe the above rules can easily be breached and transparency won’t be of much help in providing a proper service. A good section of these activists wants the Internet to be classified as “public utility” so that the government may use Municipal wireless or its own broadband networks. The use of broadband depends mostly on cable lines and also on wireless. The Municipal wireless is already there as an alternative to costly ISPs. Once the Internet is classified as a public utility, there is less chance that the ISPs can do to tamper with the speeds as people can switch to government broadband.
UPDATE: In Dec 2017, the US FCC decided to kill Net Neutrality. Let us see what the future holds now…
Heard of Internet Of Things?
