Net Neutrality By Guilherme Martins

Brief Definition of what is Net Neutrality? Network neutrality is best defined as a network design principle. – Think of End – To – End design: Support for all types, com. Protocols are defined at the end points. Further Abstraction: an electrical grid, it does not care if you plug in a toaster or a computer.

Several Debates In terms of End –to –End: – Arguments have been found in discussions going back in the 80s. 1990’s Some have had arguments of integration of cable companies into ISPs and what this means to end to end. Rationing What about sites that are extremely offensive?

Debate Cont’ Other arguments against: – Legitimate Business Practices. By data prioritization – Video and other high bandwidth demand – Proved desired quality of service to other applications. – Prevention of unwanted traffic, like a malicious code reaching the user.

Legislation Information “The US cable and mobile communications industries have won important concessions from regulators over proposed “net neutrality” rules, as part of a broader retreat by Barack Obama’s administration from the tougher rules it had argued were needed to protect the openness of the internet” Market Competition – Should Legislation Be passed? Sufficient market competition, remote areas only have one provider sometimes. How to maintain neutrality?

FCC Four Principles of Net Neutrality – Entitled to content of their choice (legal) – Run applications that they want – Entitled to connect devices that do not harm the network – Consumers are entitled to competition between ISPs

FCC Conclusion “The Commission has a duty to preserve and promote the vibrant and open character of the Internet as the telecommunications marketplace enters the broadband age. To foster creation, adoption and use of Internet broadband content, applications, services and attachments, and to ensure consumers benefit from the innovation that comes from competition, the Commission will incorporate the above principles into its ongoing policymaking activities.”

Solutions Legislation has been proposed, some have been adopted, others are in current debate. Other Solutions include free market, some people think that if one company does this sort of action, one could simply move to another.

Hardware Solution! A Technical Approach to Net Neutrality – Xiaowei Yang, Gene Tsudik, Xin Liu Dept of CS UC Irvine Proposed an idea of net neutrality through hardware, preventing ISPs from harming applications or competing services, or singling out individuals. Assumptions – Free market – No DoS – ISPs intend to discriminate

Hardware Solution Cont’ How to implement

Hardware Solution Cont’

Flaws in their Plan Still subject to DoS attacks, design uses RSA encryption at the neutralizer. Public Key expensive. Attackers can flood key setup packets. Packet Discrimination: – Based on the customers’ or neutralizers’ address – Encrypted Traffic – Key setup packets

Summary What is Net Neutrality Current Debate Proposed Solutions Discussion: “A Technical Approach to Net Neutrality”

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