If you think your life is getting ever more wireless, think again. The Internet connections the world relies on still cross the globe thanks to cables laid along the sea floor. And while terrorism isn’t yet a major threat to their health, dropped anchors or human carelessness are.
Online education held the promise of leveling the playing field, making a college education accessible to those who are too poor to go to college. But because of what’s required to get an online education — a device and an Internet connection — online education is merely reinforcing socio-economic ghettos.
The inventor of the term “net neutrality” says government involvement is key to great Internet service, and the FCC looks set to agree. The regulatory agency will vote next on a plan to make the Internet a public utility, allowing the government to block service providers from creating “fast lanes” for content.