--- title: "An Internet Provider Is Selling an “Elite Gamer” Service" description: "## Elite Gaming Internet" date: "2019-04-26" modified: "2019-04-26" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/internet-provider-elite-gamer-service" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "gaming" - "internet" - "Net Neutrality" - "the digest" --- # An Internet Provider Is Selling an “Elite Gamer” Service ![U.S. internet service provider (ISP) Cox Communications is offering a new tier of internet service called "Elite Gamer" for an additional $15 a month.]() *\Image: Shutterstock\* ## Elite Gaming Internet Internet service provider Cox Communications is offering a new tier of internet service called "Elite Gamer" for an additional $15 a month. The promise: low latency, which in gaming means less lag, for optimal gaming performance. Cox Communications' new offering is technically legal, but arguably flies in the face of the [hotly debated subject]() of net neutrality, which was [repealed in the United States]() in 2018. In essence, net neutrality is the act of treating all "lanes" or connections of data on the internet the same without giving certain connections a fast pass. ## Lag Spikes [Cox's FAQ]() says wants to offer the "fastest pass to your game server" by reducing "lag spikes" with its Elite Gamer tier internet. Anticipating the negative reactions from net neutrality supporters, Cox [told *Motherboard*]() that its "Elite Gamer" offering does not "prioritize any traffic over others on our network," or "alter speed in any way." If it doesn't alter the speed or prioritize traffic, though, how is an "Elite Gamer" internet connection any different than any other? Americans are already [paying hand over fist]() for internet, with very few options available, depending on location. Cox has the opportunity to sell the service to a limited number of people in Arizona as part of a trial. It will then evaluate how to go forward from there, according to *Motherboard*. **READ MORE:** [This ISP Is Offering a 'Fast Lane' for Gamers...For $15 More Per Month]() **More on net neutrality:** *[The Inventor of the Web Says It’s Broken and Net Neutrality Can Fix It]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()