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Comment by lorddoig | Hacker News Reader

Net neutrality is very important, but it occurs to me that when we finally figure out that we don't need separate telephone lines, cable tv, etc - i.e. when we realise it's all just data and one-pipe-fits-all - then it seems fairly obvious that your neighbours 999/911 VoIP call should perhaps not be drowned out by 4K Netflix. And neither should your burglar alarm. Or panic button. Or self-driving car. Or robotic doctor.

It's an issue in its infancy now, sure, but it will become a problem.

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Restrictions based on traffic type (as long as they're clearly indicated to the customer buying the service) are much less pernicious than restrictions based on origin or destination.

I think reasonable arrangements can be made that don't destroy some of the best things about the open internet.

If I go to the store and buy the last loaf of bread, and my neighbour has to go without, it's not my fault; it's the store's fault.

Likewise, if an ISP sells me and my neighbour plans that allow anytime 4K netflix, but they aren't able to deliver on that promise, it's the ISP's fault. My neighbour and I aren't assholes just because we both watch our movies in the evening.

The issue has stayed in its infancy for 35 years so far (Jon Postel wrote about it in January 1980), so do you think it will become a bigger problem in the next five? Ten? Twenty? If so, why?

The answer to that should be pretty obvious. How many different services relied on internet in 1980? How many will in twenty years?

And I'm not sure the issue still is in its infancy. It's becoming a problem and it's stopping further innovation. I think we really need to think about "internet 2.0".

"Many" and "even more". That's not the point.

The internet has added hosts, users and services every year since 1980. It didn't cross a threshold to need priority blah in 1981, not in 1982 either, not in any of the 33 following years. What's so special about the 36th year? Or the 40th?

Sure. Make an exception for 911 VoIP. But what else is there? Burglar alarm/panic button are in the same category, and what are we talking about? 5 bytes or 10? ..Self driving car? Put the computers on board. They are cheap. You can't do this now? Ok, ll buy your car next year, when you can. Not really happy with having to check with big brother in order to drive around, anyway. ..Robotic doctor? You mean you are having your open heart surgery in your living room, while your kid is playing 2 feet away the latest mmorpg? Well, maybe you have something to think about there.

Freedom is important. Really important. Everything else, are just excuses.

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