Repealing Net Neutrality rules is bad for DPD vendors and their customers. Here is why.

DPD vendors in the US will see a new popup when logging in to the DPD admin until Dec 14th. We’re showing this popup asking you take action to save Net Neutrality rules because it directly affects your ability to sell your downloadable content with DPD.

What is Net Neutrality?

Net Neutrality is the basic principle that prohibits internet service providers like AT&T, Comcast and Verizon from speeding up, slowing down or blocking any content, applications or websites you want to use. Net Neutrality is the way that the internet has always worked.

Net Neutrality prevents ISP’s from restricting access to the sites and content your love.

Net Neutrality prevents ISP’s from charging you more to access content they don’t want you to have.

Net neutrality is essential for creative freedom.

How Ending Net Neutrality Will Affect DPD Vendors

Without Net Neutrality rules in place there will be nothing stopping ISPs, who already enjoy regional monopolies in most areas, from prioritizing traffic for those who can pay more. This will only hurt smaller creators and vendors who don’t have the financial backing of Netflix, Apple, or other large corporations who can pay to have their network traffic prioritized on these networks.

Imagine for a moment a world where Verizon and other ISPs are allowed to prioritize traffic based on what they are willing to pay.

DPD uses local servers and Amazon Web Services to deliver content. All of a sudden, AWS is told that if they want to deliver content to Comcast (or Verizon or AT&T or Spectrum or any other ISP) networks it has to pay a surcharge, increasing the cost of servers and bandwidth overnight. DPD’s costs are increased, and because our margins are thin and we don’t charge for bandwidth these costs are passed along directly to you, the vendor.

At best, we have to charge more for the same service you are receiving now because our costs have increased. At worst, the cost is so high that vendors can no longer afford to deliver their content through our service (or any other) and we end up closing the doors.

But do we really need more regulations?

Some have made the argument that Net Neutrality rules have stifled innovation and stopped competitiveness in the ISP marketplace, and that ISPs won’t do things that are good for their bottom line at the expense of their users. ISPs have already shown they are willing to violate these rules to add to their bottom line, as outlined in the list below.

ISPs violating net neutrality rules and being stopped by the FCC:

2005 – Madison River Communications was blocking VOIP services. The FCC put a stop to it. [source]

2005 – Comcast was denying access to p2p services without notifying customers. [source]

2007-2009 – AT&T was having Skype and other VOIPs blocked because they didn’t like there was competition for their cellphones. [source]

2011 – MetroPCS tried to block all streaming except youtube. [source]

2011-2013 – AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon were blocking access to Google Wallet because it competed with their payment system. [source]

2012 – Verizon was demanding google block tethering apps on android because it let owners avoid their $20 tethering fee. This was despite guaranteeing they wouldn’t do that as part of a winning bid on an airwaves auction. They were fined $1.25 million. [source]

2012 – AT&T tried to block access to FaceTime unless customers paid more money. [source]

2013 – Verizon literally stated that the only thing stopping them from favoring some content providers over other providers were the net neutrality rules in place. [source]

What can you do?

Take action when you see the popup on the admin and call your elected officials, or visit https://www.battleforthenet.com and write your officials, join a protest, or donate to an action group. Learn more about Net Neutrality and educate the people you meet on why its important and urge them to take action too.

Net Neutrality affects everyone- from service providers like DPD, to vendors like you, to customers and every internet user on the planet who needs and expects unrestricted access to the internet.