Net neutrality: what is it and why does it matter?

Plans to dismantle 'net neutrality' will lead to some web users being left in the slow lane, activists say

FCC Seal
(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

THE US telecoms regulator the FCC has provoked outrage among some technology experts by apparently agreeing to a 'two-tier' internet that will allow firms to pay to ensure their content reaches users more quickly than that of their rivals.

The FCC and some internet service providers say the proposals are needed because some websites – notably those which stream video, like Netflix – now distribute vast quantities of data. ISPs claim this places an unfair burden on them, which they want to share financially with clients.

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