AHSS*1090 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Federal Communications Commission, Mobile Television, Social Inequality
Communication, Technology & Culture
Week 7: Technology and Inequality
Net Neutrality
-Principle that Internet service providers give consumers access to all legal
content and applications equally without favouring others
-ISPs cannot give one content provider preference over another or slow content
from content providers that compete with ISPs
Net Neutrality in Canada
-Called Internet traffic management practices (ITMPs)
-Policies must be disclosed by ISPs – allowing informed decisions about Internet
services purchased and used
-CRTC recognizes ISPs will need to manage Internet traffic sometimes, but only
to extent necessary
-ISPs cannot be unjustly discriminatory or unduly preferential
-Blocking access to content prohibited without approval of CRTC
-Bell lost the mobile television decision in court
Net Neutrality In United States
-The Federal Communications Commission ruled in favour of adopting net
neutrality
-ISPs must treat all legal content equally
-ISPs can’t block or throttle on their networks any legal content from outside
content providers
-ISPs can’t give prioritize some customers over others – “paid prioritization”
-ISPs are being treated like public utilities
-May change under President Trump?
Digital Divide: discrepancies between social groups in access to, use of, and
empowerment by networked computers and other digital tools such as cellphones.
Global Digital Divide
-Lack of infrastructure, Economic Barriers, Illiteracy, Poor computing skills, Lack
of support, Cultural barriers
Digital Technology and Inequality
-Digital media has potential to alleviate social inequality and also contribute to
increased stratification
-We may want to stop thinking about the digital divide in absolute terms
-Hardware is important, but digital skills are import. to understanding inequality in
the digital age
Five Areas of Inequality Related To ICTs
1. Quality of hardware
2. Autonomy of use
3. Skill
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Principle that internet service providers give consumers access to all legal content and applications equally without favouring others. Isps cannot give one content provider preference over another or slow content from content providers that compete with isps. Policies must be disclosed by isps allowing informed decisions about internet services purchased and used. Crtc recognizes isps will need to manage internet traffic sometimes, but only to extent necessary. Isps cannot be unjustly discriminatory or unduly preferential. Blocking access to content prohibited without approval of crtc. Bell lost the mobile television decision in court. The federal communications commission ruled in favour of adopting net neutrality. Isps can"t block or throttle on their networks any legal content from outside content providers. Isps can"t give prioritize some customers over others paid prioritization . Digital divide: discrepancies between social groups in access to, use of, and empowerment by networked computers and other digital tools such as cellphones.
