Net Neutrality and its Affect on Gamers

The FCC has been working since October of 2009 to establish "net neutrality" guidelines. In a nutshell, net neutrality means that all service providers must allow nondiscriminatory access to all lawful content and must consent to all reasonable requests regarding the disclosure of service management information to ensure that all customers receive equal broadband access.

These new guidelines follow four key freedoms established by the FCC in 2005:

1. Consumers are entitled to competition among network providers, application and service providers, and content providers.

2. Consumers are entitled to access the lawful Internet content of their choice.

3. Consumers are entitled to connect their choice of legal devices that do not harm the network.

4. Consumers are entitled to run applications and use services of their choice (subject to the needs of law enforcement.)


Nowhere in any of this are video games mentioned -- but net neutrality does have an impact on online games. Leveling the Internet playing field might have serious consequences for online latency; but at the same time, demanding transparency from all ISPs protects developers from getting slapped with unfair fees.