Will the telecommunications industry ever become competitive? The barrier of entry seems just too high with the amount of infrastructure it takes.
Netflix Agrees to Pay Comcast to End Web Traffic Jam
171–180 of 351 posts
Re: Netflix Agrees to Pay Comcast to End Web Traffic Jam
#172This is a terrible precedent to set, and if it's true, I'm very disappointed in Netflix. Comcast is vulnerable right now since it's seeking to merge with TWC. Now's the time to pull out the big guns and show Congress, the FTC, and the citizens of the US why net neutrality is important. But instead of taking advantage, they cave and even pay off Comcast in what's essentially extortion. A disturbing vision of the future broken Internet to come.
Re: Netflix Agrees to Pay Comcast to End Web Traffic Jam
#173Earlier quoted context omitted.
How would Net Neutrality help here? Comcast wasn't throttling Netflix vs. other content, they were refusing to build bigger pipes to Cogent.
It looks like Comcast was refusing to upgrade specifically to hurt Netflix, which falls under the sprit of net neutrality if not the letter.
Equivalently, they were refusing to upgrade specifically to help Netflix.
Re: Netflix Agrees to Pay Comcast to End Web Traffic Jam
#174Net neutrality is dead. The FCC has failed us.
Re: Netflix Agrees to Pay Comcast to End Web Traffic Jam
#175Earlier quoted context omitted.
What competitors? In many areas, they are the only broadband provider. The next-closest providers are typically DSL. Consumers are going to get screwed on the front & back end of this.
> Consumers are going to get screwed on the front & back end of this. Netflix is network heavy and competes with Comcast offerings using Comcast's own network. That was the key motivator here. Even if Comcast has a monopoly in select areas, it cannot do price differentiation in just those select areas. IANAL, but that sounds illegal.
"Netflix is network heavy and competes with Comcast offerings using Comcast's own network"
Funny, back when I was a Comcast customer, I do not remember paying for "Comcast Network Access." I remember paying for "Internet Access;" sure, I went over Comcast's network, but I (maybe naively) thought that such distinctions were irrelevant on the Internet (that was kind of the point, if memory serves).
Re: Netflix Agrees to Pay Comcast to End Web Traffic Jam
#176Heres what I would be trying if I was netflix. Probably sure I'd have trouble pushing it against the rest of the company but I'd try this:
1) Collect evidence of network tampering/filtering
2) Get agreement in place to pay for better service
3) Collect the rest of the evidence that network filtering was in place when it gets lifted.
4) Simultaneously hit comcast up for breaching the neutrality agreements, while notifying all comcast customers that comcast is forcing netflix to charge its customers more for access.. that it might have to be along to them to pay... but we are working on ways yo prevent it.
Try and squeeze comcast from both ends at once and public embarrass them, while trying to keep the higher ground, looking like the peoples hero, under dog etc...
I doubt many companies would take that risk, but that what I'd try.
Re: Netflix Agrees to Pay Comcast to End Web Traffic Jam
#177This might not be an anti-net neutrality deal. Here are the details we know at this point: 1. Netflix is currently using Cogent 2. Comcast offered them a direct connection to their network via paid-peering. 3. Netflix agreed and will move over. 4. Nothing about net neutrality was mentioned in the article. This deal is being referred to as paid-peering. Peering is a practice performed at ISPs where two ISPs hook up in…
You don't seem to understand: This is not a technical issue; is a conceptual one, people are not going to read the details of the deal, rather to grab the idea and slowly believe that paying for better connection with a site/ISP is normal.
Re: Netflix Agrees to Pay Comcast to End Web Traffic Jam
#178We need to do something guys. Probably this falls under some monopoly law or practice against free market because it hurts way too much all the current (and future) Netflix competition.
Re: Netflix Agrees to Pay Comcast to End Web Traffic Jam
#179This is anti-competitive. It is clearly unconstitutional. I hope the FCC still has a chance to compensate for their shortcomings.
Re: Netflix Agrees to Pay Comcast to End Web Traffic Jam
#180Earlier quoted context omitted.
>> "Many areas only have Comcast service!" Do a lot of people in the US only have access to one or two ISP's?? If so why? I'm in a not particularly urban part of Ireland and I can choose between at least 5 ISP's, decent speeds, and a good variety of prices.
Depends. Many people in the US have quite a bit of choices: Cable, DSL, Cell+Internet, Wireless. Usually those that live in large urban areas. But the service and quality of these ISP's varies greatly , which Comcast--in my area, being top. Those Americans that live in rural areas, may not even have access to high speed internet, or always on internet--see the Xbox 1 fiasco for more details.
"Many people in the US have quite a bit of choices: Cable, DSL, Cell+Internet, Wireless. Usually those that live in large urban areas. But the service and quality of these ISP's varies greatly, which Comcast--in my area, being top."
This needs to be emphasized more. We rarely get to choose between equally cost-effective ISP options. The typical choice is one cable company, one phone company, and some kind of wireless service (possibly satellite). That is not competition, any more than heavy truck sales compete with mo-ped sales.