S.Korea broadband firm sues Netflix after traffic surge

Mon Oct 18 14:23:08 UTC 2021

Imagine it's 2021. Over a decade ago the world started a transition from 
captive audio broadcast media from a single source towards unicast 
streaming from multiple sources. You operate an ISP network that was 
designed for a past era and you have been slow to keep up with your 
competitors or with the changing trends. Customers are not happy. Your 
customers don't understand. People don't understand. You are a cog in 
the machine that is causing resistance and see an opportunity to get 
paid twice for a single job. You won't get out of the way once paid, in 
fact you'll grasp at your position even harder to ensure that you will 
continue to get paid. You are SK Telecom.

On 10/18/2021 9:02 AM, Josh Luthman wrote:
> Imagine it's 2008 and your AP is pushing out 3 mbps. Customers are all 
> happy.  Suddenly, Netflix demands 10x what you're offering.  Customers 
> are not happy.
>
> Customers don't understand.  People don't understand. There are a 
> million cogs in the machine and if the path of least resistance is to 
> turn left, an ISP is going to turn left.
>
> Josh Luthman
> 24/7 Help Desk: 937-552-2340
> Direct: 937-552-2343
> 1100 Wayne St
> Suite 1337
> Troy, OH 45373
>
>
> On Fri, Oct 1, 2021 at 10:19 AM Blake Hudson <blake at ispn.net> wrote:
>
>
>
>     On 10/1/2021 8:48 AM, Sean Donelan wrote:
>     > South Korean Internet service provider SK Broadband has sued
>     Netflix
>     > to pay for costs from increased network traffic and maintenance
>     work
>     > because of a surge of viewers to the U.S. firm's content, an SK
>     > spokesperson said on Friday.
>     > [...]
>     > Last year, Netflix had brought its own lawsuit on whether it had
>     any
>     > obligation to pay SK for network usage, arguing Netflix's duty ends
>     > with creating content and leaving it accessible. It said SK's
>     expenses
>     > were incurred while fulfilling its contractual obligations to
>     Internet
>     > users, and delivery in the Internet world is "free of charge as a
>     > principle", according to court documents.
>     > [...]
>     >
>     >
>     https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/skorea-broadband-firm-sues-netflix-after-traffic-surge-squid-game-2021-10-01/
>
>     >
>     >
>
>     I'll never understand over how ISPs see content providers as the
>     enemy
>     (or a rival). The content is why ISPs have customers. Don't get upset
>     when your customer uses the service that you sold them (in a way
>     that is
>     precisely in accordance with the expected usage)!
>
>     Netflix, as an example, has even been willing to bear most of the
>     cost
>     with peering or bringing servers to ISPs to reduce the ISP's costs
>     and
>     improve the ISP customer's experience. It's about time Netflix played
>     chicken with one of these ISPs and stopped offering service (or
>     offered
>     limited service) to the ISPs that try to extort them and other
>     content
>     providers: Sorry, your service provider does not believe in net
>     neutrality and has imposed limitations on your Netflix experience.
>     For a
>     better Netflix experience, consider exploring one of these other
>     nearby
>     internet providers: x, y, z.
>
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