Inquietante

ArsTechnica meidta sulle asimettrie che alcuni operatori , ma soprattutto alcuni stati, cercnao di imporre ad Internet: "Network neutrality is the concept that no particular type of traffic on the Internet should receive preferential treatment for speed or access. It was the design for network neutrality that made the Internet possible in the first place. It keeps ISPs from becoming liable for the content that may pass through their systems.

However, an article by the BBC examines the fact that many service providers are starting to prioritize their own content at the expense of those from rivals. Many countries have started or are considering blocking Voice-over-IP (VOIP) traffic in order to protect the phone companies from competition. For example, this summer reports from Germany indicated that Vodafone had begun to block VOIP traffic, treating the popular Skype program as 'inappropriate content.' On the other side of the coin, Canadian cable provider Shaw now offers a premium VOIP service that promises to prioritize Internet telephony traffic for a monthly fee. In some countries the government itself is getting involved in putting forth legislation to restrict certain types of traffic.

The implications for the consumer of this Balkanization of the Internet are scary indeed. In the guise of offering 'premium' services, the networks are trying to set up a model where they can control what kind of content gets priority service for distribution, or even gets blocked completely. The implications for freedom of information are enormous."