The Federal Communications Commission has voted 3 to 2 to repeal Obama-era Net Neutrality rules, giving internet service providers like Comcast, AT&T and Verizon the freedom to “carve up” the internet into so-called “slow and fast lanes”. ISPs will be required to disclose their practices, but if they decide to charge more for faster Netflix, for example, the removal of net neutrality allows them to do so.
So, how will this affect your dental practice website?
Frankly, no one is quite sure. But we can give you some assurance that nothing major will happen immediately, especially to local business websites.
There will be legal challenges.
It will take around 60 days for the repeal to take effect. During that time, there are sure to be challenges in Congress and advocacy groups who have promised to fight the repeal in the courts. The ultimate result remains to be seen, but we’re certain that there will be no major shifts in how ISP’s handle the internet in the immediate future.
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Any effects will primarily be seen in websites for entertainment and social media.
It’s expected that if ISP’s decide to slow down access to some websites, and speed up access to others – depending on how much you’re willing to pay or the service plan you select – that this will primarily be through relationships with streaming services or social media that require large amounts of quickly delivered data. Again, no one is certain if this will happen, but there is a distinct possibility that ISPs could move to create cable-like service packages.
There is no indication that this will harm pediatric dental websites…yet.
The end effect of Net Neutrality is up in the air. Like all regulation, a changing political climate means that no one is certain what these rules, or lack thereof, will ultimately mean. Further, a lot depends on the reaction of consumers to ISPs potential moves to change their policies and service offerings. What we can say with fair certainty is that these recent moves to end net neutrality should have no immediate effect on dental websites.
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