Anthony J. Pennings, PhD

WRITINGS ON DIGITAL ECONOMICS, ENERGY STRATEGIES, AND GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS

Net Neutrality and the Use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)

Net neutrality strives to treat VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) neutrally, meaning that Internet service providers (ISPs) should not discriminate against or block the use of VPN services. As a regulatory principle, Net neutrality advocates for equal treatment of all data on the Internet, regardless of the type of content, application, or service. VPN is a technology that establishes an encrypted connection over the Internet by allowing users to access a private network remotely. This connection provides anonymity, privacy, and security but may also be used in sensitive activities, including bypassing geographical restrictions imposed by licensing agreements, regional authorities, or ISPs.

Deep Packet Inspection of Internet Traffic and Net Neutrality

Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) is a network technology used to inspect and analyze the contents of data packets running through the Internet. It is a critical component of many network security, monitoring, and optimization solutions. DPI can be used in ways that violate these principles, such as by throttling or blocking specific types of content, services, or applications. In such cases, DPI is directly at odds with net neutrality.

U.S. Internet Policy, Part 6: Net Neutrality, Broadband Infrastructure and the Digital Divide

The digital divide proved to be more consequential than ever as the K-shaped recovery took shape, exacerbating income divisions. The divide has been particularly stressful on American families as schools and other activities for kids closed down during the Covid-19 pandemic. Some 20 million Americans had no or very slow Internet service while another 100 million cannot afford broadband.

Engineering the Politics of TCP/IP and the Enabling Framework of the Internet

The protocols shape flows of information. Protocols have strong influence on the flow of information.

US Internet Policy, Part 5: Trump, Title I, and the End of Net Neutrality

The election of Donald Trump in 2016 presented new challenges to broadband policy and the net neutrality rules passed under the Obama administration. Tom Wheeler resigned from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), allowing Trump to pick a Republican chair and swing the power to the GOP. The major issue would be to challenge the FCC’s […]

Internet Policy, Part 4: Obama and the Return of Net Neutrality, Temporarily

This post examines the Obama administration’s approach to Internet regulation and the issue of net neutrality. This involved reviving “Title II” regulation that works to guarantee the equal treatment of content throughout the Internet. Previously, I examined the legal and regulatory components of common carriage and the emergence of net neutrality as an enabling framework for Internet innovation and growth.

US Internet Policy, Part 3: The FCC and Consolidation of Broadband

Despite the design and the efforts of the Clinton-Gore administration to create a competitive environment, the Internet came to be increasingly controlled by a small number of ISPs. It is important to understand the policy environment and administrative actions that changed the Internet into the oligopolistic market structure that dominates broadband today. Policy changes allowed telcos to transition from the neutral transmitters of communication to the communicators themselves.

US Internet Policy, Part 1: The Rise of ISPs

Much of the early success of the Internet in the USA can be attributed to the emergence of a unique organizational form, the Internet Service Provider or “ISP,” which became the dominant provider of Internet and broadband services in the 1990s. These organizations resulted from a unique set of regulatory directives that pushed the Internet’s […]

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  • About Me

    Professor at State University of New York (SUNY) Korea since 2016. Moved to Austin, Texas in August 2012 to join the Digital Media Management program at St. Edwards University. Spent the previous decade on the faculty at New York University teaching and researching information systems, digital economics, and strategic communications.

    You can reach me at:

    apennings70@gmail.com
    anthony.pennings@sunykorea.ac.kr

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    The opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of my employers, past or present.