Lawmakers in Washington may end net neutrality next week, and that could be bad for small businesses on the High Plains.
As The Texas Tribune reports,net neutrality is an Obama-era regulation that requires internet companies to treat all customers the same. If the rule is repealed, internet service providers like AT&T and Suddenlink could prioritize access to some websites over others.
That means these companies could charge customers more for easy access to certain pages that they’re accustomed to visiting for free. This rule change would help major corporation, as these companies have deep pockets and would be able to pay the internet service providers to ease traffic to their sites.
But for some small businesses struggling to succeed, the new law could be the kiss of death, as traffic is moved away from their sites and toward their big-spending competitors.