Here’s a copy of my comment on John Batelle’s Searchblog post:
Just like many other things, but to a much higher degree, simply because of the sheer pace at which the internet permeates more aspects of society every day, this is a matter that surpasses US borders.
I’m going to make a vast, unfounded declaration, but it seems to me that just like urbanization could be construed as the most important societal trend during the 20th century, internet connectivity holds the title for the current era. And a whole lot of new wealth will be created based on that new, ever-evolving structure.
If the foundations that have made and are still making the internet such a success story (and are being threatened by net partiality) aren’t preserved within the US, for organizations as well as individuals, then either one of two things could happen: either the US will not-so-slowly fall behind in matters of economic and social development as compared to other regions of the world, or, since the US is such an important player on the global stage, the whole thing will eventually become obsolete. Both scenarios are catastrophic for US interests.
Another point is that ensuring net neutrality necessitates some kind of long-term vision trumping short-term appetite for profit and avoidance of potentially costly infrastructure investments. Corporations are almost by definition not inclined to make those sacrifices willingly.
Therefore I believe the US government has no rational choice but to regulate the field and somehow lay down in law the basis for net neutrality.
The key word here is rational…
