From 6pm to midnight file-sharing traffic will be slowed, but not blocked.
Starting today, UK-based mobile phone provider 3 will begin throttling network P2P traffic during peak hours, which a spokesman says is generally between 6pm and midnight.
“In busy areas, at busy times customers using mobile broadband can experience a slower service,” it told ZDNet UK. “We’re taking steps that improve the web-browsing, email and streaming experience on our network by making sure that the real-time experience gets the priority it deserves.”
“In order to improve the service for the majority of our customers we are actively managing the amount of bandwidth made available for P2P file sharing at peak times in busy areas.”
It had also originally planned to limit the number of simultaneous video streaming, but apparently decided to back off that proposal, and limit their new traffic management solution to P2P.
The plan makes 3 the only mobile phone provider to throttle P2P in the UK, though its four main rivals – O2, Vodafone, Orange and T-Mobile – refuse to say whether they intend to in the future.
Stay tuned.
jared@zeropaid.com
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