FW: ISPs slowing P2P traffic...

Michael Painter tvhawaii at shaka.com
Wed Jan 16 06:15:31 UTC 2008


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Joe Greco" <jgreco at ns.sol.net>

[snip]

>> As long as you fairly disclose to your end-users what limitations and
>> restrictions exist on your network, I don't see the problem.
>
> You've set out a qualification that generally doesn't exist.  For example,
> this discussion included someone from a WISP, Amplex, I believe, that
> listed certain conditions of use on their web site, and yet it seems like
> they're un{willing,able} (not assigning blame/fault/etc here) to deliver
> that level of service, and using their inability as a way to justify
> possibly rate shaping P2P traffic above and beyond what they indicate on
> their own documents.
>
> In some cases, we do have people burying T&C in lengthy T&C documents,
> such as some of the 3G cellular providers who advertise "Unlimited
> Internet(*)" data cards, but then have a slew of (*) items that are
> restricted - but only if you dig into the fine print on Page 3 of the
> T&C.  I'd much prefer that the advertising be honest and up front, and
> that ISP's not be allowed to advertise "unlimited" service if they are
> going to place limits, particularly significant limits, on the service.
>
> ... JG


Yep.

"In the US, Internet access is still generally sold as all-you-can-eat, with few restrictions on the types of services or 
applications that can be run across the network (except for wireless, of course), but things are different across the 
pond.  In the UK, ISP plus.net doesn't even offer "unlimited" packages, and they explain why on their web site.
'Most providers claiming to offer unlimited broadband will have a fair use policy to try and prevent people over-using 
their service," they write. "But if it's supposed to be unlimited, why should you use it fairly? The fair use policy stops 
you using your unlimited broadband in an unlimited fashion-so, by our reckoning, it's not unlimited. We don't believe in 
selling 'unlimited broadband' that's bound by a fair use policy. We'd rather be upfront with you and give you clear usage 
allowances, with FREE overnight usage.' "

The above (and there's much more) from:
http://arstechnica.com/articles/culture/Deep-packet-inspection-meets-net-neutrality.ars/

If I was a WISP, I'd be saving up for that DPI box.

--Michael









More information about the NANOG mailing list