Is this whole net neutrality debate relevant to your smart home at all?
There’s a big buzz around the concept of net neutrality these days. Some people are arguing that it ought to be repealed where others are saying it needs to be kept in place, and it’s an argument that’s lasted through multiple presidencies and has had bipartisan support for both sides of the argument. As a result, the issue seems somewhat muddy and confusing, often leaving consumers of why it matters at all. If you’re unsure of what net neutrality is, let’s take a look and see if it could have any impact on your smart home.
What is Net Neutrality?
The most basic explanation of net neutrality is that currently, internet providers aren’t allowed to prioritize or throttle traffic from sites of their choosing. It also means they can’t prioritize traffic to devices, like a laptop or cellphone. If net neutrality were to be repealed, the concern is that your internet provider could slow down internet speeds for a competitor’s video streaming service while speeding up their own video streaming service in an attempt to force you to switch over where you stream your videos from, making them even more money.
Could This Impact the Internet of Things?
Most major internet providers have already vowed that they won’t block or throttle traffic coming from any competitors but the concern still exists: could repealing net neutrality impact the Internet of Things? This is the terminology usually used for smart homes, how the various parts of our home are becoming connected and interact with one another. Hypothetically, we can imagine an internet provider creating their own smart home tech, their own personal assistant even, and prioritizing traffic to their products. This could reduce your options and force you into using technology that you don’t really want, overall limiting how you can use your smart home.
What Should You Do?
The good news for smart home owners is that this should, in theory, have little impact on smart home tech. Many of these technologies don’t use tons of data anyway so it’s unlikely that internet service providers would throttle them. Nonetheless, your streaming and home theater experience could be impacted, so it may be wise to look into the issue and see if you need to call your local politicians to express your thoughts.
Integrated Technologies Group Can Help Integrate Your Smart Home
Ready to have a smart home as smart as you are? Integrated Technologies Group has the expertise and great prices to make it happen. We have been providing Maryland residents with top-notch home theater services, home security services, and home automation services for over a decade. We work throughout Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Delaware, and West Virginia. Ready to get a quote to make your smart home dreams a reality? Give us a call at 1-877-560-3280 or visit us online. For more informative articles, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google+.
Tags: net neutrality, networking, smart home
