[TriLUG] OT: TIME WARNER ANNOUNCES INTRODUCTION OF PACKET SHAPING TECHNOLOGY NATIONWIDE

Glenn Starling GJStarling at charter.net
Mon Jun 11 19:46:00 EDT 2007


On Mon, 2007-06-11 at 17:26 -0400, Steve Holton (sholton at mindspring.com)
wrote:

> So, some (rhetorical) questions to consider:
> 1. Would you be in favor of an "Internet Tax" (tax on broadband 
>    service) to support government-sponsored initiatives, such as
>    universal service, enforcement of service and quality 
>    standards, etc?

Definitely not at the federal level.  Perhaps for a municipality in
cooperation through zoning laws but only to provide a low-cost
infrastructure making available "universal service".

> 2. Is it better to regulate consolidation among broadband service 
>    providers (to promote competition) or allow consolidation and 
>    re-regulate the resulting new Ma-Bell?

Depends on market size.  In densly populated areas it sometimes makes
sense for multiple utilities providing the same service.  In sparsely
populated areas, regulate the one utility that is selected to serve that
geographic area.

> 3. How, exactly, does one go about legislating, enforcing, or even
>    verifying network neutrality across IP networks where every router
>    has (by design, and according to protocol) the option to dump 
>    any packet it chooses to dump?

Assure legally that packets are not filtered/dropped unless the customer
specifically requests it (for example, to reduce spam or succeptability
to Denial of Service attacks).  The default would be no filtering.  As
for uplink speeds, the user gets whatever bandwidth he purchases and it
is not the ISP's business what ports one uses or type of traffic he
sends.

Also, the speeds specified by the ISP to the purchaser should be
available 95% of the time without regard to customer using bursts or
sustained capability.  In other words, if the phone or cable company
sells bandwidth, they had better make sure they have it.  It's the
customer's decision whether he/she uses to constantly listen to music,
view a movie, or send an IM once per month to their son in Greece!

> Methinks the network neutrality crowd has an uphill battle ahead
> of them, and they'll get nowhere until they at least get their
> own supporters on board.

It will be an uphill battle, but there are now enough knowledgeable
customers that are ready to put the pressure on lawmakers.  It isn't
as much of an uphill battle as it was, especially when cable systems are
now trying to promote packet shaping as a "benefit to customers" under
the auspicies of it keeps the "bandwidth hogs" from using YOUR
bandwidth.  (Never mind the "bandwidth hogs" paid for it!)  Can we
afford to loose?




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