The Age of Software: An Introduction

Abstract

The Internet is built on a powerful idea — treating all packets the same whether they are voice packets or text or whatever. These packets are all the same and are inherently neutral because they have been decoupled from their meaning. The debate over network neutrality is framed in terms of common carriage. The assumption is that packets are freight with inherent meaning and that neutrality only applies to packets that happen to be part of a separate Internet. The idea that bits do not have inherent meaning is about far more than just networking. It is a basic engineering principle and a philosophical principle that goes against our basic way of conceptualizing the world. It is argued that recognize that today’s telecommunications policies are framed in the failed idea that we need an intelligent network to transport meaning. The meaning (and intelligence) is in our devices. We need to take an infrastructure-based approach rather than purposely limiting our ability to communicate, limiting our ability to access education and health care, and limiting our ability to innovate.