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Wikipedia Head Takes Aim At Net Neutrality
By Julia Kukiewicz
Expert Author
Article Date: 2011-01-21
Though the American Net Neutrality debate has been raging for a while it seems to have only just kicked off in the UK. Even so, campaigners have already started to acquire some high-profile detractors.
One of them is Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia.
Speaking to a university audience Wales said that the debate was largely theoretical and had been blown out of proportion.
"The debate is a highly overblown issue," he said. "A lot of the things that people are afraid of are in reality a long way from happening."
Wales claimed that apps from Apple are a far great threat to the free and equal consumption of the web.
Apps are not only closed software, Wales pointed out, they also give one company huge power over who buys and sells online since each app must be approved by Apple.
"That choke point is very dangerous. It's not theoretical like a network operator potentially shutting out Skype, it's real and it's happening now."
In fact, mobile operators in France have already blocked Skype and, in the UK, T-mobile also blocks VoIP on some of its packages.
Earlier this month, many commentators expressed anger at a long-planned British Telecom (BT) content delivery network which will increase speeds for high bandwidth content (e.g. video) by adding extra servers in areas of high congestion.
Confusing the issue is the fact, the US and UK broadband markets are sufficiently different that what seems shocking in one may not be so in another.
In the cases of Wales' Skype example, there's enough competition in the UK for consumers to go elsewhere for their VoIP.
While most Americans have access to a fairly limited broadband market with just a few incumbent operators to choose from the UK market is widely held to be one of the world's most competitive.
About the Author:
Julia Kukiewicz is an editor as Chooseisp.co.uk, a news, reviews and price comparison site for UK broadband deals. The site also covers related issues such as how to get Sky Sports cheaper.
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