Some truth about Comcast - WikiLeaks style

Wed Dec 15 22:50:25 UTC 2010

On Wed, 15 Dec 2010 15:51:05 -0500, Mikel Waxler <dooser at gmail.com> wrote:
> Bandwidth is not allocated in static blocks on a
> first come first serve basis. It is shared across all users. ...
> a single new connection would not noticeably effect others.

I love how people demonstrate how they've failed most of the math classes  
in their life.

Let's start with a 10G link (10,000M).  If a live (real-time) video stream  
needs a minimum of 5Mbps, then the link can support a maximum of 2000  
streams.  Add one more stream and you will not have the bandwidth to  
support the required rate for all of them.  In a perfectly fair system,  
everyone's experience begins to be degraded; *every* additional user robs  
an incremental amount from all the others.  With Comcast's 16mil users,  
it's a safe bet that tens of thousands of them are streaming at any given  
point. Why do you think Level3 asked for ~30 10G ports?

(I know netflix streams are less than 5M.)

> 2) "Comcast claims that a good network maintains a 1:1 "
>
> I have never heard them assert that.

Read their blog posts.  Read the peering agreement.

> Would it drive up the cost of monthly internet? Yes.

Of course it would.  But not because comcast would go broke doing it.   
They make plenty already.  They aren't interested in doing anything that  
doesn't immediately *increase* their profits. (which is making content  
sources pay them to get to their millions of customers.)

--Ricky