'True internet freedom' – Kim Dotcom to launch MegaNet to 'replace' current internet

[Len]

Kim Dotcom previously claimed that MegaNet would be a "non-IP based" network that would protect users against hacking and spying.

Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom has weighed in on the controversy surrounding the US government's decision to overturn net neutrality. Dotcom took to Twitter on 22 November to warn that breaking net neutrality would "only accelerate the adoption of a new network".

Dotcom also used the opportunity to hint at a potential future launch of his own alternative version of the internet — MegaNet, which he claimed would offer users "true Internet Freedom".

Dotcom, who is still wanted in the US over criminal copyright violation charges, first teased the idea of MegaNet in February 2015, tweeting that he was working on a "new Internet that can't be controlled, censored or destroyed by Governments or Corporations".

"No more DDoS or hacking. No more censorship. No more spying. All your mobile phones become an encrypted network," Dotcom wrote in another tweet from February 2015.

Later in the year, Mashable reported that Dotcom, while speaking at a Sydney startup conference, said the MegaNet would be a non-IP based network. However, Dotcom's predictions of MegaNet's beta version being rolled out in 2016 fell short.
 

However, in the wake of the widespread backlash against the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)'s decision to reverse net neutrality, Dotcom once again stirred up some excitement by hinting at a potential MegaNet launch in the near future.

"I have been working on this for a long time. Mobile networks and devices will be ready for this in 4-5 years. When it goes live our dream of true Internet Freedom shall become reality. The upcoming K.im and Bitcache apps can provide the initial critical mass for this new network," Dotcom said in a post.
 

 

However, the Megaupload founder is yet to specify any details about a potential launch. It is still unclear when MegaNet may be publicly rolled out and what encryption technology the network will use to protect users from cyberthreats.

Meanwhile, the FCC reportedly faces increasing backlash from users, tech giants and others who are concerned that rolling back Obama-era internet regulations could allow internet service providers such as Comcast, increased power over content distribution and more.