Net Neutrality (eBook)

'Net Neutrality' advocates the implementation of a co-regulatory solution to the net neutrality controversy, which cannot be left entirely to self-regulated market actors, however benign their motives. The future of Internet and media policy is too important to simply be an economic issue, and co-regulation can provide a responsive flexible solution in the EU, US and elsewhere. In this book, Christopher T. Marsden analyzes the net neutrality debate within a broad international framework which subtly explores its legal, technical and economic implications.

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This book is available as open access through the Bloomsbury Open Access programme and is available on www.bloomsburycollections.com.Chris Marsden maneuvers through the hype articulated by Netwrok Neutrality advocates and opponents. He offers a clear-headed analysis of the high stakes in this debate about the Internet's future, and fearlessly refutes the misinformation and misconceptions that about' Professor Rob Freiden, Penn State UniversityNet Neutrality is a very heated and contested policy principle regarding access for content providers to the Internet end-user, and potential discrimination in that access where the end-user's ISP (or another ISP) blocks that access in part or whole. The suggestion has been that the problem can be resolved by either introducing greater competition, or closely policing conditions for vertically integrated service, such as VOIP.However, that is not the whole story, and ISPs as a whole have incentives to discriminate between content for matters such as network management of spam, to secure and maintain customer experience at current levels, and for economic benefit from new Quality of Service standards. This includes offering a 'priority lane' on the network for premium content types such as video and voice service. The author considers market developments and policy responses in Europe and the United States, draws conclusions and proposes regulatory recommendations.