NOW READ THIS
("Security Advisory")
Submitted by: Bill Hickey
NCVA List Master
NRT-0315 COMCAST Throttling Internet Traffic:
There are TWO articles about this subject. First is the announcement in one venue,
the other is a Comcast rebuttal via Reuters.
COMCAST - the United States' largest cable TV operator and No. 2 Internet Service
Provider (ISP) - is using a network management approach that limits bandwidth to
users involved in peer-to-peer file sharing, according to an on-line news source.
ISPs have long complained about the vast amounts of traffic generated by a small
number of subscribers who are avid users of file-sharing programs such as BitTorrent,
eDonkey, and Gnutella, according to the article. Peer-to-peer applications account
for between 50-90% of overall internet traffic, according to a survey this year by
ipoque GmbH, a German vendor of traffic-management equipment. The practice of
managing the flow of internet data - known as "traffic shaping" - is already wide-
spread among ISPs, according to the article, and usually involves slowing down some
forms of traffic, like file-sharing, while giving others priority. Comcast's
interference appears to be an aggressive way of managing its network to keep file-
sharing traffic from swallowing too much bandwidth and affecting the internet speeds
of other subscribers. A 2005 policy statement by the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) says that "consumers are entitled to run applications and services of their choice,"
but that principle is "subject to reasonable network management." "We have a
responsibility to manage our network to ensure all our customers have the best broadband
experience possible," said a Comcast spokesman. "This means we use the latest
technologies to manage our network to provide a quality experience for all Comcast
subscribers."
(www.breitbart.com 19OCT07)
COMCAST Corp said on Monday October 22 that file transfers on peer-to-peer networks such as
BitTorrent may be delayed by bandwidth management technology, but it denied blocking
access to any applications or content. As the second-largest high-speed internet
provider in the United States with 11 million customers, any move by Comcast to favor
or block certain types of content moving over its network would be extremely controversial
as it would be seen as flouting 'net neutrality.' Net Neutrality is the principle of
allowing all content that flows over an ISP network to be treated equally without any
preference. Although it is not law, it is supported by a wide range of pressure groups
and businesses concerned that ISPs will start charging to prioritize the delivery of
users content. Over the weekend, the Associated Press had reported that it carried out
experiments across the country that proved Comcast was preventing some users from
uploading content to peer-to-peer networks, including BitTorrent. Comcast issued a
statement on Monday that refuted those allegations. The company did confirm its
bandwidth management technologies may slow a peer-to-eer service as part of a technique
known in the industry as bandwidth shaping, which is targeted constraining of delivery
pipes. This could delay the delivery of a file but not block it.
(Reuters 22OCT07)