Net Neutrality and Game Theory
I have recently become interested in the net neutrality debate that seems to be receiving a lot of press. Network neutrality is the idea that the Internet is a utility that Internet service providers should give access to without discriminating against certain sources or content. It is also called the “open Internet”, the idea that all content and platforms should be treated fairly and equally. The issue involves a power struggle between two powerful players; Internet service providers and Internet content providers.
There have been many perspectives and opinions published on the issue of net neutrality, but one of the most interesting is stated in an academic paper, “The Debate on Net Neutrality: A Policy Perspective”. Researchers from the University of Florida and Notre Dame used game theory to predict the aftermath of the loss of net neutrality. They developed a game-theoretic model that would address who are the gainers and losers of abandoning net neutrality, and whether or not Internet service providers would want to expand their capacity without net neutrality. The paper found that without net neutrality, Internet service providers would wield more power and benefit greatly while content providers would be at a great disadvantage. This imbalance would only become more heightened as Internet content and traffic increase year after year. I thought it was very interesting that game theory could be applied to estimating the aftermath of an ongoing issue.
Link: https://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/CSD4854.pdf