What's the Deal with Net Neutrality?

Net Neutrality created a big buzz this month when the New York attorney general's office subpoenaed Comcast for its alleged throttling of customers' Internet use and when Reps. Ed Markey and Chip Pickering introduced the "Internet Freedom Preservation Act of 2008" (PDF).

In a nutshell, the Net Neutrality argument is over whether access to IP services should be limited. Below is a YouTube video that helps explain the issue a little more.



You can also read more about Net Neutrality at Save the Internet, a public advocacy coalition.

Google has taken a firm stance in favor of Net Neutrality. The search engine even includes the topic in its help directory. In essence, Google argues that Internet users should have the sole power to choose what content and services they want to use.

The other side of the argument concerns managing bandwidth. Anti-Net Neutrality advocates argue that certain broadband users hog bandwidth with such applications as peer-to-peer (P2P) services like BitTorrent that allow them to download and upload massive amounts of content. In a Times (Trenton, N.J.) editorial, Jose Marquez recently compared these users to Wild West oil tycoons, sucking up every last, valuable drop of bandwidth for their own benefit.

However, these arguments would be moot if there were a national broadband program to improve network infrastructure and expand these services into rural and other under served areas.

What are your thoughts on Net Neutrality? Will legislation help or hinder broadband use in the United States?