Melugin Takes on 3 Common Net Neutrality Myths

Richard Morrison • December 11, 2017 @ Competitive Enterprise Institute

This morning CEI released a new video on one of the hottest topics in Washington these days, net neutrality. In the video, CEI Adjunct Fellow Jessica Melugin addresses 3 common myths associated with net neutrality regulations.

Transcript:

The Three Biggest Myths About Net Neutrality
 

Have you heard of “Net Neutrality?” More importantly, do you know what it means for you?

Let’s be honest, it’s not an easy topic to understand. But, Net Neutrality regulations could make a big difference for what kind of Internet service you can buy and what you pay for it.

With so much bad information out there about Net Neutrality, here are 3 myths to watch out for:
 

Myth 1: We need government to keep the Internet “neutral.”
 

“Net neutrality” sounds like a nice, fair, neutral thing, right? …Wrong. What people actually mean by “net neutrality” is Washington regulators telling Internet service providers how to manage their business. Does that sound neutral to you?
 

These backwards, heavy-handed regulations would mean Internet providers can no longer prioritize Internet speeds for things like Netflix, Spotify, or Face-timing with your in-laws. Ok… that last one was a bad example.
 

Myth 2: Without Net Neutrality regulations, customers will get screwed by big evil Internet providers like Comcast, Verizon, and AT&T.
 

FACT: Look, Internet service providers are not going to randomly slow down your internet service for the same reason that Shake Shack won’t randomly spit in my food. One) I’m always respectful to restaurant workers And, Two) They don’t want to lose me as a customer.

What Net Neutrality regulations will do, is reduce our options, and create lousy service for everyone. Look at history: a free Internet that can respond to consumer choice – NOT government regulations – is why we have broadband,  not dial-up internet today.
 

MYTH 3: Without Net Neutrality regulations, internet providers would squash the little guys.
 

FACT: This one is hilarious. WHO are these “little guys? Amazon, Hulu, Netflix? I think they’ll be just fine. In fact, there is ZERO evidence of big broadband companies getting away with boxing out the little guys.
 

Broadband companies provided internet service for 20 years without regulations, and look where we are.  I streamed the entire second season of Stranger Things last weekend… you can watch pands do nothing at the National Zoo all day long.
 

If you want faster internet, we should ease rules—not increase them. Let’s make it easier for MORE internet service providers to enter the market and compete for your business. Look what happened to the mail system… More options mean better alternatives than the US Postal Service. Amazon Prime, anyone? (Images of FedEx and UPS)
 

No matter what John Oliver tells you, there is nothing neutral about the government picking winners and losers. That’s called government intervention. If we want real Internet neutrality, we need less government, not more.
 

For more background on the issue:

• Net Neutrality 101, CEI's fact sheet on the issue  
• FCC Chairman Pai Correct to Dismiss Net Neutrality Vote Delay, blog post by Jessica Melugin (12/5/17)
• Point: Net Neutrality Bad for Consumers, op-ed by Jessica Melugin (6/2/17)
• A Net Neutrality Primer: Should the Internet Be Regulated Like Ma Bell? OnPoint issue brief by Jessica Melugin and Ryan Radia (5/16/17)

You can also watch the recent panel event co-hosted by the R Street Institute and the Lincoln Network, featuring remarks by Federal Communication Commission Chairman Ajit Pai and others.