American author and publisher Drew Curtis is well-known for his incisive observations on media and technology trends. He discusses net neutrality, a crucial topic in the digital age, in this quotation.

Curtis frequently discusses how everyone should be able to use the internet, regardless of their financial situation or social standing. The idea behind net neutrality is that Internet service providers (ISPs) should treat all online data equally, without charging or treating users, content, websites, platforms, applications, connected equipment types, or communication methods differently.

Curtis worries about a future in which net neutrality isn't maintained in his statement. In his vision, the internet is divided into two distinct worlds: one for people who can afford it and another that is less accessible and perhaps less valuable. This distinction would be comparable to that between AM radio stations, which may have poorer sound quality and fewer options, and FM radio stations, which generally provide high-quality music and broadcasts.

Using this analogy, Curtis illustrates how ISPs might establish a tiered internet service in the absence of net neutrality, granting access to faster speeds or better services only to those who can afford it. This scenario would be similar to the distinction between broadcast TV, which is free but has fewer options and possibly lower quality, and cable television, which offers premium channels and high-definition content.

His concern is that large, well-funded corporations may take over the internet market and push out smaller competitors. These big businesses could pay ISPs to make sure their websites or services load faster than those of their smaller rivals if net neutrality were to be abandoned. This would create a two-tiered system that would hinder competition and innovation.

Curtis is essentially supporting an internet where everyone has equal access to opportunities and information. His worry highlights the significance of net neutrality as a pillar for upholding these ideals and is representative of the larger discussion surrounding accessibility and justice in digital spaces.