Internet users know what they want and expect from the Internet, but these days all the jargon about net neutrality rules is making it difficult to know what box to check that advances their best interest.
— Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., who has started a contest on Reddit to rebrand the term net neutrality, which is the principle that all Internet traffic should be treated equally. Eshoo s move comes as the Federal Communications Commission continues to hear (extended) public comments about its net neutrality plan, which would essentially lead to the creation of Internet fast lanes.
Respondents to Eshoo s call on Reddit are suggesting terms such as net equality, fair access for all or digital discrimination, but others are criticizing the congresswoman for pandering and wasting time.
Some are suggesting rebranding the opposition, a.k.a. the broadband providers, instead. It could be amusing seeing what might result from a negative campaign against those who are using their considerable coffers to fight it: Comcast: your separate but equal internet provider, writes soyverde. And dfndoe writes: Net Neutrality is a good brand. The problem is that the alternative needs to be branded something which explains what it is. I m a fan of calling the alternative The Netflix Tax. (Netflix is reluctantly paying what it calls a toll to major U.S. broadband providers in order to avoid delivering a poor streaming experience to its customers.)
As we mentioned last month, Eshoo is also concerned about what she sees as another threat to net neutrality: data caps. In a letter to the FCC, she expressed concern about usage-based pricing which may include the throttling or slowing down of data speeds, overage fees and the exemption of some online services or applications from data caps.
Photo of Rep. Anna Eshoo from her House website
