The 700MHz auction has been receiving an amazing amount of coverage in the press lately.  That is warranted because this auction will affect the future of wireless internet and wireless services for all of us.  Some companies have the power to influence all telecommunication, cable, and internet providers.  Unquestionably, the next few weeks will be crucial in determining the path that wireless services travel.

The auction will take place on January 24th, 2008, and 214 total bidders of the 266 initial applicants will be fighting it out for wireless spectrum.  You have the big telecommunication companies, which are going to be bidding hard, but you also have smaller companies that will be bidding on blocks as well.

I am sure that some of you have seen the commercial in which they explain that people are pretty much going to be screwed in February 2009 if you still use an antenna to watch television.  All the news is about the 700Mhz spectrum auction.  That vacated portion of the spectrum is exactly what is being auctioned off.

Many people do not understand the true impact that this auction will have.  Let's say that there is a person who lives in a neighborhood where there is only one provider of internet services, and the ISP is charging very high prices for the services.  This auction might give smaller but able competition the chance to offer the same person those services for cheaper.  It is all about creating competition.

The auction has been split off into five separate blocks.  The A, B, and E blocks will be valuable to smaller companies which will be offering services in regional areas.  The C and D blocks will draw much more of a crowd because these allow a nationwide network, and the likes of Google, Verizon, and AT&T will be pouncing on those.

Essentially, this is an important time in shaping the future of wireless services.  While larger companies like Google could shake up all the telecommunication companies, smaller companies can get their legs in the door to be competitive.  I hope that this brings lower prices and competitiveness to all potential customers.

[Source: Ars Technica]

To understand net neutrality, you simply need to look at this from the side of your typical internet user and an internet service provider (ISP). The consumer wants more bang for their buck. The ISP wants to make more money off their customers. This all of course comes down to the green stuff in the end. Why should you care?

Well, you should care because what happens today, tomorrow, and within the next few months could affect the way all of us surf the internet in the future. Many of you using the internet at this very moment consider it as an important, and sometimes essential tool in your daily life. I consider the internet as an invaluable tool to my work.

A Quick History Lesson:

The 109th Congress was pushed to the edge of their seats in late 2006 as telecommunication companies spent hundreds of thousands to attempt to influence Congress to break up net neutrality. It just goes to show you how far the likes of Comcast, Verizon, AT&T, and many others are willing to go to screw over their customers. Fortunately, Congress did not vote in favor of the telecos.

You must realize that although this was a victory for net neutrality, its results are only bittersweet as this battle has only begun. The implications of the next few years are critical in determining if network neutrality will be put in legal effect or discarded.

Very recently there have been reports of Comcast preventing torrent traffic, and Verizon preventing text messages related to pro-abortion discussion. These types of events will continually occur until something is done about it.

What Happens If Net Neutrality Fails?

Imagine if you were surfing the internet as usual, and you decide to visit the YouTube site which you have not visited for a few days. "Beep-beep," a nice little sound-byte plays, and a pop-up from your ISP notifies you of the following:
If you wish to access the YouTube site and its content, you are hereby required to pay a $1.99 subscription fee. This fee covers unlimited data access to the YouTube site and its content for a 24 hour period which starts immediately upon acceptance of this offer.

This charge will automatically be added to your bill and is non-refundable. Certain restrictions apply. For other terms and conditions of the Web Subscription Service beta, please visit our website. Thank you.
Is that just the greatest deal ever? Not really! Granted, that is an extreme example, but this is exactly the type of thing that internet service providers could pull off. No one person can say something like that will not happen as any method which money can be made is a tool which the telecommunication companies will take full advantage of.

What is stopping website owners from being pushed into signing deals that would promote their content to certain customers of a specific ISP, and screwing the customers of other ISPs. Exclusivity deals are already bad for the sports gaming industry, yet it is being done. The idea that Verizon customers can visit YouTube for free, and AT&T customers must pay a few cents per minute to use the site is a possibility.

Essentially, if net neutrality fails the internet service providers would be free to extract insane amounts of money from their customers and possibly from content providers. It is evil, it is wrong, and it needs to be stopped.

What Can You Do?

First, visit SaveTheInternet as that site is dedicated to news about the state of network neutrality, and also helps in providing you with ways to let both Congress and the world know how important this subject is to everyone involved. Next, try voting for a candidate in the upcoming elections who supports the stance that you side on. Finally, you could try leaving any ISP that is attempting to violate the idea of net neutrality.

The result of how net neutrality plays out in the future is up to all of us. If net neutrality fails, we have no one to blame but ourselves for not standing up and taking action. One person taking action is a start, a few hundred taking action is a statement, but a few thousand is an unavoidable demand. It is up to you, the reader, to understand net neutrality, and realize that you can change things.

Final Thoughts:

Unfortunately, we are already seeing the effects of what would happen if net neutrality is successful. Companies like Verizon intend on limiting access for using certain amounts of bandwidth. Further putting limitations on what we can and cannot do. If net neutrality succeeds, the telcos could easily find ways around it. Why these companies are hell-bent on restricting the growth of internet services in the United States is just beyond wrong, and this warrants government action.

The government has taken a few baby steps to get this right, but much more is needed to be done to protect the internet.