What Could be the Downfall American ICT Leadership? Net Neutrality

The readings this week took on criticism of those who say that the dominance of the US in ICT is on its way out because of China's new prominence, less spending on ICT, lack of real broadband access or some combination of all three.

However, what the critics did not see as a limit to the American dominance in ICT is the net neutrality debate. In this video featuring some of the greatest Internet innovators and thinkers (including a cameo by Lawrence Lessig), they all refer to the ultimate victim in a system where the Internet is no longer 'neutral' - American ingenuity and creativity.

The evangelist from Google Vint Cerf, addresses this exactly when he speaks about how the inhibition of Internet access will allow for other nations with more open systems to innovate beyond America.

This video uses the insights of some of the most innovative and intelligent people in digital technology to show that one area in which the open markets have really allowed for small companies to flourish into market and cultural behemoths is digital technology. As the video states, eBay, Google, Yahoo! all started in a basement somewhere and are now international brands that have come to change global vernacular - you don't search, you 'Google.'

To put a barrier on the access that let the minds behind these corporations revolutionize several industries would only set the United States very far back in terms of ICTs: