According to a recent NY Times article we see that the majority of Internet traffic is expected to shift to congestion-prone mobile networks. This is creating a unique problem for the bandwidth gatekeepers. Should operators of the networks should be allowed to treat Web users differently, based on the users’ consumption? Most users would rather not see this happen.
However, in reality, it is happening already. On most networks, bandwidth is regulated quite heavily. The article reads, according to the operators: Networks have never been neutral. They have
always been actively managed to some extent since their inception in
the 1980s to ensure that all customers get a basic “best effort” level
of service. The article continues... If an operator could not restrain bandwidth hogs, who typically make up
15 percent of customers but who generate 80 percent of the traffic, most
Internet users would experience poor service.
Operators are worried that any rigid legal mandate that forced them to
observe net neutrality standards would be unworkable and make the
economics of high-speed wireless broadband less attractive, which could
limit future investment and improvement to the networks. With the shift in popularity really moving toward the mobile network, this is a very real and growing concern. Bandwidth is all that more precious when you are dealing with wireless, and mobile devices. There are techniques and work around remedies being tested, however, their results are not yet shown to be effective. Limiting everyone's bandwidth right now, may be the only reasonable solution to keep everyone equal, whether we like it, or not.