UK 'can't ignore net neutrality debate', expert says
Britain is being left out of the important debate surrounding the issue of net neutrality, the president of the British Computer Society has claimed.
Under the basic principles of net neutrality, internet traffic would not be tiered in any way, with no type of traffic getting priority over the other and, while this has long been seen as a US issue, the fact that much of the internet's content comes from across the Atlantic means that UK firms and ISPs need to now make their voices heard, Professor Nigel Shadbolt told ZD Net UK.
In particular, should the proponents of net neutrality get their way, VoIP services, which are currently necessarily prioritised over other types of traffic, would be limited in terms of speed and functionality.
"We might feel that we're happy with the degree of market force and flexibility in the UK, but...what is clear is that some of the major content providers originate out of the US, and if things actually became tiered in any sense we would feel the impact in the UK and the EU," Professor Shadbolt said.
Recently the US Justice Department said that ISPs should be allowed to charge extra for priority traffic, with the rise of online TV and movie downloads driving forward the calls for tiered rates. 
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