Net Neutrality, Bandwidth, Speed, Physics, Greed?

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SUMMARY

Net neutrality is being challenged as ISPs argue that they must throttle bandwidth and speed due to increased demand from customers streaming HD videos and playing HD online games. The discussion highlights the necessity for ISPs to invest in additional infrastructure, such as transmitters, receivers, and routers, to meet this demand. Critics question whether ISPs' claims of limited capacity are merely a pretext for monopolistic profit-taking. Ultimately, the conversation emphasizes that while ISPs face business decisions regarding pricing and capacity, these issues are separate from the principles of net neutrality.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of net neutrality principles
  • Familiarity with telecommunications infrastructure components
  • Basic knowledge of electromagnetic (EM) waves and their properties
  • Awareness of market dynamics in the ISP industry
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the implications of net neutrality on consumer rights and ISP practices
  • Explore the physics of electromagnetic waves and their relevance to data transmission
  • Investigate the costs associated with ISP infrastructure and capacity expansion
  • Examine case studies of ISP pricing strategies and market competition
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Telecommunications professionals, policy makers, students of physics, and consumers interested in understanding the implications of net neutrality and ISP practices.

Tom Minogue Hastings
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Net Neutrality is being overturned as ISP telecoms claim they need to throttle bandwidth and speed as too many customers want to stream HD videos and play HD online games. EM waves are fast and unlimited, so is Tiered Premium Billing absurd? ISP telecom expenses include transmitters, receivers, routers, cables, transformers. Do they really need more equipment to give users more bandwidth and speed? Is their claim of limited capacity an excuse for monopoly profit-taking? No need to talk politics; I'm asking: How does a physicist see this telecom claim in terms of EM energy and entropy, so a student might understand?
 
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Whatever infrastructure an ISP has installed, it's capacity is not unlimited.
If there is increased demand for bandwidth, they have to install more hardware if they wish to meet that demand.
It's fair enough to argue that some ISP may be asking unreasonable prices for higher capacity users,
but then again, in most cases the user has a choice of providers, and the ISP doesn't want price themselves out of the market.
I don't see how that's anything to do with net neutrality though, it's just a business decision.
Obviously they want to retain their market share, but by making their service unprofitable for them to operate.
 
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With rootone's answer, thread is closed.
 
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