Although “the Internet” seems ethereal, it is in fact a network of networks that connects billions of users around the world. The capabilities of the Internet are dependent on the reach of those networks. Many governments worldwide are considering how to effectively and efficiently make robust networks available to their citizens to enable them to access the Internet.
Wireless or “mobile” devices send information one-to-one (like mobile phones), one-to-many (like AM or FM radio), or many-to-many (like Wi-Fi Internet access). Wireless devices send and receive signals along the electromagnetic spectrum in the form of waves similar to visible light or sound.
Given the significance of the Internet, preserving its “openness” – an idea often referred to as “network neutrality” or “net neutrality” – has been a long-standing issue.
High-speed Internet access – often referred to as “broadband” – is a set of technologies that, taken together, are recognized as a potential catalyst for global economic and social change.
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Stanford law professor Barbara van Schewick explains why AT&T’s decision to suspend its sponsored data program is a “win for an open and free internet.”
March 26, 2021
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“People should be free to choose which videos they want to watch -- whether that’s Netflix, Twitch or their local church’s Sunday service -- without the company they pay to get online trying to influence their choices.” — Barbara van Schewick, Professor of Law, Stanford University
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Featured Article
This paper looks at technology that increases the bandwidth of existing networks that carry broadband traffic.
December 1, 2010
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