NNSquad - Network Neutrality Squad
[ NNSquad ] AT&T reverses -- now looking at bandwidth caps (can you say "U-verse"?)
Note that for ages AT&T has been claiming they didn't see any
need for themselves to apply bandwidth caps to their subcribers,
since "their DSL offerings didn't have the same technical
problems as cable operators" in terms of congestion. Now,
suddenly, we're hearing talk of backbone congestion rather than
last-mile congestion as an excuse for looking at such caps.
Is it merely a coincidence that this change of heart comes at the
same time that AT&T is rapidly deploying their DSL-based U-verse
system, which bases its primary income stream on people buying TV
content via U-verse rather than from competing outside Internet
services?
Even more importantly, given that we don't really know what's going
on in terms of most of these carriers' true bandwidth and traffic
characteristics, how can any "outsider" judge whether or not they're
being told the unvarnished and unbiased truth in any these regards?
--Lauren--
NNSquad Moderator
------- Forwarded Message
From: David Farber <dave@farber.net>
To: "ip" <ip@v2.listbox.com>
Subject: [IP] Third Major ISP AT&T Testing Bandwidth Caps in the Fall [with a
comment by me djf]
Date: Sun, 8 Jun 2008 10:01:49 -0400
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I am at a loss to see how such a cap will really help. The issue is=20=20
not the amount of bits you move but when you move it. If the=20=20
competition for the bandwidth is sleeping then you can send with no=20=20
impact. If you try when the kids get home from school things are busy=20=20
and so large transfers slow things down. All an issue of busy hour=20=20
design. What such caps DO create is an additional cost for people who=20=
=20
are transferring large objects across the net -- like HD programs=20=20
LEGALLY. Several of such transfers can eat up your allocation and then=20=
=20
if they charge say $1/gig -- a HD can cost you what $3 to $4. Now=20=20
usually the cable operator (and the FIOS) uses another channel to=20=20
deliver VOD so, if I understand it right, they have created, by such=20=20
a capacity model, a CLEAR competitive advantage in favor of themselves.
Neat way around the NetNeurality potholes.
Am I missing something.
Dave
http://gizmodo.com/5014290/welcome-to-the-future-of-broadband-third-major-i=
sp-att-testing-bandwidth-caps-in-the-fall
AT&T chief tech officer John Donovan has told Wired that they're going=20=
=20
to test bandwidth caps in the fall, making them the third of the four=20=20
major ISPs to do so. (Verizon stands alone, but for how long?) He lays=20=
=20
out the familiar rationale, a small group of users (5 percent) pillage=20=
=20
the network (40 percent) and they've got to stop them. But then he=20=20
slips what's probably the real reason they've moving to caps: "Traffic=20=
=20
on our backbone is growing 60 percent per year, but our revenue is not."
It is more or less accepted that a minority of users use=20=20
disproportionate of bandwidth, but what they're using it for is=20=20
changing. It's increasingly video, not BitTorrent. The whole pro-=20
BitTorrent thing is a smokescreen, because BitTorrent is less and less=20=
=20
of an issue=97video, and increasingly, HD video will be the real one.=20=20
(Along with any number of other increasingly bandwidth-intensive=20=20
apps.) And it'll be more and more competitive with providers' TV=20=20
offerings=97we've already seen Time Warner cry about it. But there's no=20=
=20
legitimate way to block it and protect their content.
They can, however, make it more expensive for you to download with=20=20
bandwidth caps (which is conveniently net neutral). And that's what I=20=20
think this is partially about=97protecting their TV business, not just=20=
=20
curbing voracious bandwidth appetites. Regardless of the motivations,=20=20
it's definitely coming. Comcast's tests will probably start soon, Time=20=
=20
Warner's are already underwayand regional ISPs have been doing it for=20=20
a while. It's looking very much like the future of broadband here.
At least if we're using it less maybe the internet won't explode now.=20=20
[Wired]
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<html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webk=
it-line-break: after-white-space; "><base href=3D"data:";><div style=3D"font=
- -family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; ">I am=
at a loss to see how such a cap will really help. The issue is not the amo=
unt of bits you move but when you move it. If the competition for the bandw=
idth is sleeping then you can send with no impact. If you try when the kids=
get home from school things are busy and so large transfers slow things do=
wn. All an issue of busy hour design. What such caps DO create is an =
additional cost for people who are transferring large objects&nbs=
p;across the net -- like HD programs LEGALLY. Several of such transfer=
s can eat up your allocation and then if they charge say $1/gig -=
- - a HD can cost you what $3 to $4. Now usually the cable operator (an=
d the FIOS) uses another channel to deliver VOD so, if I understand i=
t right, they have created, by such a capacity model, a CLEAR competit=
ive advantage in favor of themselves.</div><div style=3D"font-family: =
Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br></div><di=
v style=3D"font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-alig=
n: left; ">Neat way around the NetNeurality potholes.</div><div style=3D"fo=
nt-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><b=
r></div><div style=3D"font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black=
; text-align: left; ">Am I missing something.</div><div style=3D"font-=
family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br><=
/div><div style=3D"font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; t=
ext-align: left; ">Dave</div><div style=3D"font-family: Helvetica; font-siz=
e: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br></div><div style=3D"font-fam=
ily: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br></di=
v><div style=3D"font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text=
- -align: left; "><br></div><a href=3D"http://gizmodo.com/5014290/welcome-to-=
the-future-of-broadband-third-major-isp-att-testing-bandwidth-caps-in-the-f=
all">http://gizmodo.com/5014290/welcome-to-the-future-of-broadband-third-ma=
jor-isp-att-testing-bandwidth-caps-in-the-fall</a><div style=3D"font-family=
: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br class=
=3D"webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div style=3D"font-family: Helvetica; f=
ont-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><span class=3D"Apple-styl=
e-span" style=3D"font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 20px; "><div cl=
ass=3D"entry" style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0p=
x; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left:=
0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: =
0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; =
outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertica=
l-align: baseline; min-height: 100px; margin-right: 10px; width: 506px; lin=
e-height: 1.7em; color: rgb(81, 100, 107); font-size: 1.06em; font-family: =
'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Verdana, times, serif; "><p style=3D"padding-top: =
0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top=
- -width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left=
- -width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0=
px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 100%; font-f=
amily: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0p=
x; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; ">AT&T chief tech officer Jo=
hn Donovan has told Wired that they're going to test bandwidth caps in the =
fall, making them the third of the <a href=3D"http://gizmodo.com/37876=
0/will-your-isp-f-you-in-the-a-bandwidth-hogs-beware" style=3D"margin-top: =
0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: =
0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top=
- -width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style:=
initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial=
; outline-color: initial; font-size: 100%; font-family: inherit; vertical-a=
lign: baseline; color: rgb(220, 135, 14); text-decoration: none; font-weigh=
t: normal; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-bottom-style: initial; border-b=
ottom-color: initial; ">four major ISPs to do so</a>. (Verizon stands alone=
, but for how long?) He lays out the familiar rationale, a small group of u=
sers (5 percent) pillage the network (40 percent) and they've got to stop t=
hem. But then he slips what's probably the real reason they've moving to ca=
ps: "Traffic on our backbone is growing 60 percent per year, but our revenu=
e is not."</p><p style=3D"padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bot=
tom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px=
; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; =
border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-=
color: initial; font-size: 100%; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: base=
line; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left=
: 0px; ">It is more or less accepted that a minority of users use dispropor=
tionate of bandwidth, but what they're using it for is changing. It's =
<a href=3D"http://gizmodo.com/382691/10-percent-of-broadband-subscribers-su=
ck-up-80-percent-of-bandwidth-but-p2p-no-longer-to-blame" style=3D"margin-t=
op: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-t=
op: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border=
- -top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-st=
yle: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: ini=
tial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 100%; font-family: inherit; vertic=
al-align: baseline; color: rgb(220, 135, 14); text-decoration: none; font-w=
eight: normal; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-bottom-style: initial; bord=
er-bottom-color: initial; ">increasingly video, not BitTorrent</a>. The who=
le pro-BitTorrent thing <a href=3D"http://gizmodo.com/373162/comcast-n=
- -bittorrent-bff-whats-good-what-sucks" style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-rig=
ht: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-ri=
ght: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; bo=
rder-right-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; borde=
r-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color=
: initial; font-size: 100%; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;=
color: rgb(220, 135, 14); text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal; bord=
er-bottom-width: 0px; border-bottom-style: initial; border-bottom-color: in=
itial; ">is a smokescreen</a>, because BitTorrent is less and less of an is=
sue=97video, and increasingly, HD video will be the real one. (Along with a=
ny number of other increasingly bandwidth-intensive apps.) And it'll be mor=
e and more competitive with providers' TV offerings=97we've already seen&nb=
sp;<a href=3D"http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/29/the-real-fight-over-=
fake-news/" style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px=
; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0=
px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; bord=
er-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-w=
idth: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 100%;=
font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(220, 135, 14); =
text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal; border-bottom-width: 0px; borde=
r-bottom-style: initial; border-bottom-color: initial; ">Time Warner cry ab=
out it</a>. But there's no legitimate way to block it and protect their con=
tent.</p><p style=3D"padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: =
0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; bor=
der-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; borde=
r-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color=
: initial; font-size: 100%; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;=
margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px=
; ">They can, however, make it more expensive for you to download with band=
width caps (which is conveniently <a href=3D"http://gizmodo.com/gadget=
s/net-neuterality/att-considering-scary-content+recognizing-anti+piracy-fil=
ter-for-entire-network-320689.php" style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: =
0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right:=
0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border=
- -right-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-co=
lor: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: in=
itial; font-size: 100%; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; col=
or: rgb(220, 135, 14); text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal; border-b=
ottom-width: 0px; border-bottom-style: initial; border-bottom-color: initia=
l; ">net neutral</a>). And that's what I think this is partially about=97pr=
otecting their TV business, not just curbing voracious bandwidth appetites.=
Regardless of the motivations, it's definitely coming. Comcast's tests wil=
l <a href=3D"http://gizmodo.com/5012735/comcast-starts-net-neutral-slo=
wdowns-of-heavy-broadband-users" style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0p=
x; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0=
px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-r=
ight-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-colo=
r: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: init=
ial; font-size: 100%; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color=
: rgb(220, 135, 14); text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal; border-bot=
tom-width: 0px; border-bottom-style: initial; border-bottom-color: initial;=
">probably start soon</a>, Time Warner's are <a href=3D"http://gizmod=
o.com/5012427/time-warner-monthly-data-caps-detailed" style=3D"margin-top: =
0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: =
0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top=
- -width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style:=
initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial=
; outline-color: initial; font-size: 100%; font-family: inherit; vertical-a=
lign: baseline; color: rgb(220, 135, 14); text-decoration: none; font-weigh=
t: normal; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-bottom-style: initial; border-b=
ottom-color: initial; ">already underway</a>and <a href=3D"http://gizm=
odo.com/377955/the-future-of-broadband-were-totally-screwed" style=3D"margi=
n-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; paddin=
g-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; bor=
der-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border=
- -style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: =
initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 100%; font-family: inherit; ver=
tical-align: baseline; color: rgb(220, 135, 14); text-decoration: none; fon=
t-weight: normal; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-bottom-style: initial; b=
order-bottom-color: initial; ">regional ISPs have</a> been doing it fo=
r a while. It's looking very much like the future of broadband here.</p><p =
style=3D"padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding=
- -left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-w=
idth: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: ini=
tial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; f=
ont-size: 100%; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; margin-top:=
0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; ">At least=
if we're using it less maybe the <a href=3D"http://gizmodo.com/381782=
/att-the-internet-will-explode-in-2010" style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-ri=
ght: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-r=
ight: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; b=
order-right-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; bord=
er-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-colo=
r: initial; font-size: 100%; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline=
; color: rgb(220, 135, 14); text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal; bor=
der-bottom-width: 0px; border-bottom-style: initial; border-bottom-color: i=
nitial; ">internet won't explode now</a>. [<a href=3D"http://blog.wired.com=
/business/2008/06/att-embraces-bi.html" style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-ri=
ght: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-r=
ight: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; b=
order-right-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; bord=
er-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-colo=
r: initial; font-size: 100%; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline=
; color: rgb(220, 135, 14); text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal; bor=
der-bottom-width: 0px; border-bottom-style: initial; border-bottom-color: i=
nitial; ">Wired</a>]</p><div><br></div></div><div id=3D"post-supplement" st=
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0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-le=
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