Concerned that content available on the Vuze HD Network will automatically be given a lower priority since it’s delivered via a BitTorrent client.
Last week Cox Communications announced plans to begin testing out a new bandwidth-management system in their Kansas and Arkansas markets that will categorize traffic into time-sensitive and non-time-sensitive traffic categories, “momentarily” delaying – throttling – the latter in order to “provide customers the best possible Internet experience” for its subscribers.
Vuze has released a statement on its blog criticizing the plans, calling for close scrutiny by the FCC because the delivery of content available on its HD Network stands to become relegated to a “second-class” activity since its distributed via a BitTorrent client.
“We take that personally, and think you should too,” it writes.
For along with FTP, network storage, software updates, and Usenet, P2P will be given a “non-time-sensitive” designation.
“That means if you’re engaged in any of these apparently ’second-class’ activities and the network gets bogged down, you may see your connection slow — even though you’re paying the same price as everyone else for access,” the statement continues. “Cox’s announcement also notes that the low-priority list may change or expand in the future. Of course, the one of these that hits home for us (and you) is ‘P2P.’”
Now it’s still unclear what the actual impact will be, nor is it clear what the definitive criterion for what is P2P and the extant of any delay, but it is troubling to think that a network administrator will be the one making judgment calls on how and when companies like Vuze will be able to deliver content to their users. This is especially so when ISPs like Cox are in the content business themselves.
Vuze holds out hope that Cox will face the same fate as did Comcast who also tried to throttle BitTorrent in order to manage network congestion.
It writes:
The FCC eventually came down hard on Comcast, finding that their use of false resent packets was an “unreasonable” network management technique and a violation of Federal law and policy. In the Comcast case, the FCC found that Comcast’s interference with peer-to-peer protocols appeared to contravene the federal policy of “promote[ing] the continued development of the Internet” because that interference impedes consumers from “run[ning] applications . . . of their choice, … including the video programming made available by vendors like Vuze.” [Comcast Order, p. 25]
Thankfully, as I’ve discussed before, Obama is a big proponent of network neutrality and so his appointment of the next FCC Chairman will hopefully demand more answers from Cox about it plans to essentially “pick winners and losers online.”
jared@zeropaid.com
Related Posts
- Comcast Appeals FCC Decision Ordering End to BitTorrent Throttling
- Cox to Begin Throttling FTP, P2P, and Usenet Next Month
- Comcast Sued for BitTorrent Throttling, Mulls Data Caps
- Vuze Introduces “Vuze to Go”
- Comcast Quits Throttling BitTorrent, Targets Heavy Users Instead
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