Bridging the Digital Divide

Technology one of the major causes of the digital divide, because of technical advancements capable of connecting users to a digital network that provides a massive amount of content information. The FCC placed an order that not only increases the development speed for wireless services to make innovative advancements in technology but it also provides more free reign to expand the wireless infrastructures. “The order removes significant regulatory barriers to wireless infrastructure deployment and revises existing processes to expedite environmental and historic preservation review, (Coie, FCC Reduces Regulatory Barriers to 5G Wireless Deployment). The innovative wireless 5g advancement plan is the exempted from the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the National Historical Act (NHPA). The larger facilities that plan to execute massive construction in order to go forth with their advancement would have to be approved by reviews of the two ACTS. The 5g networks plan to rely on the small antenna systems that would be placed within a small distance between each other rather than the traditional big network towers that would require big towers and a great distance of land to establish a network.

For more information about the NEPA and the NHPA please click the link here: https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/fcc-reduces-regulatory-barriers-to-5g-33170/

For more information about the advance, 5g network click here:https://www.sganalytics.com/blog/5g-coming-soon-bridge-digital-divide/

What is The Digital Divide?

What one may consider having internet access as a common essential other may consider it a luxury based on location. The digital divide is the difference between those that have the accessibility to the internet and those that don’t. Those that have access to the internet have access to a massive amount of knowledge that can only be obtained online. Even features that are taken for granted such as email availability, GPS directions, news, and online applications, are only available to those that can connect to the internet. According to techopedia, internet access has been known to be an advantage that devices can provide features that provide a massive amount of knowledge and resources.

Here is a general visual explanation of what is the Digital Divide.

click the link here: What is the Digital Divide?

Resources :

https://www.techopedia.com/definition/605/digital-divide

The Current Net Neutrality Debate

The news address what is happening mostly within states dealing with net neutrality laws. What is Congress doing about having access to the Internet? Within the most recent congressional report, December 20,2017, the main topic relevancy involves what can be done in order to provide unrestrained access to the Internet. According to the CRS report, There is no definite definition for “net neutrality”, but it is being interpreted as a way to safeguard equal access and nondiscriminatory treatment when accessing the Internet. The majority agree that the term should include a set of principles that involve Internet Service Providers (ISP) not be discriminatory towards consumers that properly use the internet. They also should access to all to all content within the network.

congress

On February 26, 2015, the Federal Communications Commissions (FCC) the majority voted to incorporate Internet rules and decided to establish the rules on March 12, 2015. The debatable features of the rules are that it changed the classifications of the Internet Service as a telecommunications service. Under Title II, this provides Internet Service Providers with a more restricted regulated framework. The restricting rules went into effect on June 12, 2015. On December 14,2017, the FCC implemented an Order that reverses the regulatory framework with a (3-2) decision. The Order reverses the 2015 classifications of Internet access services by changing it to a telecommunications service that is under Title II of the Communications Act. This Order takes away the responsibility of governing the services from the FCC and gives the responsibility to the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice. The reactions towards this Order’s reversal is debatable between those that believe this will be a benefactor towards the broadband Internet access services. The other reactions believe that the reversal on the 2015 classifications would bring about a harmful disruption towards the variables that is relevant to the Internet.

Source:

crs report: The Net Neutrality Debate: Access to Broadband Networks

What is the FCC ‘s Part in Net Neutrality?

Fcclogo One may hear about what the FCC within the topics of make the internet a neutral and equal environment for all users of the internet. The FCC or the Federal Communications Commissions has been around since President Roosevelt’s first term when he signed the Communication’s Act of 1934. This Act supervises all communications within the United States and communications outside the U.S. The FCC is considered in charge of all communications within the United States.

Their responsibilities consist of the following:

Prevent any monopolies from occurring. For example AT&T
Maintain and enforce regulations that are relevant to the communications of the United States.
They control other forms of communications, such as television, radio, and other means of communications.
Maintaining a fair competitive environment for the many means of communication
They are in charge of foreign communications.

What is currently happening within the FCC

Reference source:

Unuth, Nadeem. “The FCC Explained.” Lifewire, www.lifewire.com/federal-communications-commissions-3426347.
“Communications Act of 1934.” Roosevelt Institute, 3 Nov. 2015, rooseveltinstitute.org/communications-act-1934/.

What Is Net Neutrality ?

What is Net Neutrality

The internet has been a depended tool in the everyday life of an individual within society. In order to have internet within a building or home, an internet service provider (ISP) to send their technician in order to enable the connection service. The only hardware required is the modem and the router for the place. Everyone within the building or home is dependant upon the ISP to provide them with the best optimum speed that offered. The ISP is the gatekeeper to having access to the world wide web.

The Problem at Hand?

What every customer pays the ISP for is not only access to the internet but also the optimum speed that is available. What if I tell you that your ISP can see the sites your viewing and manipulate the speed or availability of that data the company transfers over to the device your surfing the internet from. The ISP can manipulate the data for the business purpose of having the big companies pay for the high data speeds, while the small companies have to deal with slower data transfer speeds.

New technologies now allow telecom companies to scrutinize every piece of information we send or receive online — websites, email, videos, internet phone calls, or data generated by games or social networks. And they can program the computers that route that information to interfere with the data flow by slowing down or blocking traffic and communicators that they don’t like, and speeding up traffic they do like or that pays them extra for the privilege. (ARCLU.org)

What is Net Neutrality?

Net Neutrality is meant having equal access and speed to data without the manipulation of the ISP. In 2015, the Federal Communications Communication (FCC) provided protection against manipulation of the ISP. Currently, President Donald Trump’s version of the FCC is working to get rid of Net Neutrality.

Network neutrality means applying well-established “common carrier” rules to the internet in order to preserve its freedom and openness. Common carriage prohibits the owner of a network that holds itself out to all-comers from discriminating against information by halting, slowing, or otherwise tampering with the transfer of any data (except for legitimate network management purposes such as easing congestion or blocking spam). (ACLU.org)

Here is visual analogy and explanation of Net Neutrality

For more information on Net Neutrality and what congress debates about it, please refer to this link here. “Net Neutrality Debate”

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