codyg1985’s Think Tank

Over the past few years, internet companies have offered internet consumers a more multimedia-rich internet experience. However, with the increased bandwidth required to piggyback these internet experiences, internet providers are considering some options to remind everyone who builds and maintains the networks.

One option would be to restrict the amount of speed and bandwidth allocated for competing internet services:

The changes may sound subtle, but make no mistake: The telecommunications companies’ proposals have the potential, within just a few years, to alter the flow of commerce and information — and your personal experience — on the Internet. For the first time, the companies that own the equipment that delivers the Internet to your office, cubicle, den and dorm room could, for a price, give one company priority on their networks over another.

Internet providers such as BellSouth and Comcast make the argument that they need to come up with ways to keep up with the demands of internet companies that provide increasingly more media-rich products:

Meanwhile, on the other side, companies like AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth are lobbying just as hard, saying that they need to find new ways to pay for the expense of building faster, better communication networks. And, they add, because these new networks will compete with those belonging to Comcast, Time Warner and oth er cable companies — which currently have about 55 percent of the residential broadband market — this will eventually bring down the price of your high-speed Internet service and television access.