Network Neutrality Article worth reading

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Since Net Neutrailty carries over with impact into the VoIP sector, I think this warrants mention. Thanks to Wonkypost for pointing out a really good paper by Edward Felten at Princeton on the subject. Felten published the paper on Freedom to Tinker. Nuts and Bolts of Network Neutrality is available in PDF format.

Here's the opening:

Network neutrality is a vexing issue. Proponents of neutrality regulation argue that the free, innovative Internet of today is threatened and government action is needed to protect it. Opponents argue that regulation is not needed, or will be flawed in practice, or is a bad idea even in principle.

One of the reasons the network neutrality debate is so murky is that relatively few people understand the mechanics of network discrimination. In reasoning about net neutrality it helps to understand the technical motivations for discrimination, the various kinds of discrimination and how they would actually be put into practice, and what countermeasures would then be available to users and regulators. These are what I want to explain in this essay.

It’s not my goal to answer every question about net neutrality—that would require a book, not an essay. What I want to do is fill in some of the technical background in a way that illuminates the core issues, in the hope of providing a little clarity to the discussion.

And here's a list of the topical areas Felten addresses:

Intelligence at the Edges vs. in the Middle
Minimal vs. Non-minimal Discrimination
Delay Discrimination
Detecting Discrimination
Discrimination, Congestion, and Cooperation
Encryption as a Countermeasure
Quality of Service
Should We Adopt a Network Neutrality Policy?

The last section present conclusion keys that mirror my own findings on the controversial subject.
Readers looking here for a simple policy prescription will be disappointed.
and
Both sides are right to say that making the wrong decision can lead to unintended side-effects and hamper the Internet’s development.

Very much a worthwhile ten pages.

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