Companies Come Out Of The Woodwork To Claim Comcast Is Violating Net Neutrality... But Exaggerations Abound
from the but-are-they? dept
Network neutrality gets thrown around all too often, quite frequently in misleading ways. As the NBC/Comcast merger gets closer, there were two separate claims that Comcast is violating net neutrality on Monday, probably in an effort to derail the merger or at least include greater restrictions. Of course, it's not entirely clear if either is really a "net neutrality" issue. The first is the more dubious. Cable modem maker Zoom complains that Comcast has jacked up "device testing" costs, creating additional hurdles for Zoom's modems to be used by Comcast customers. I'm reading through the details, and I'm struggling to see how this is, in any way, a "neutrality" issue. It just seems like a stretch by people who are generally against the merger. This has nothing to do with content discrimination and seems more like a standard business relationship complaint.The other complaint is at least a bit more interesting -- but details are still lacking. Level 3 claims that Comast has told it that it will need to pay up to let Comcast subscribers access online movies offered by Level 3. I'm not familiar with Level 3's online movie offerings -- so if anyone has details, please let us know. Based on Level 3's statements alone (which are, obviously, one-sided), this certainly does sound like the original dream scenario of the telcos to charge content owners to reach customers -- effectively double charging everyone by pretending that their internet connections only reach halfway into the cloud, but to reach any other site, those sites should have to pay up too.
If this is true, and the details do line up, it's rather stunning (and incredibly braindead) that Comcast would make such a demand right now, just as the merger is close to approval. You would think that someone in management would recognize the sort of backlash such a demand would bring. Of course, again, I'm wondering if there are more details here. I wasn't aware of an online movie offering from Level 3, and I'm wondering if Level 3 was actually trying to do something more involved rather than just letting users access online content through existing connections. I'm sure the details will come out soon enough...
Update: And out come the details suggesting that Level 3 is exaggerating. Level 3, as suspected, does not offer a consumer online video offering, but is simply powering Netflix's video offering, and the discussion with Comcast was a standard peering discussion, which happens all the time when internet infrastructure players realize that one of their peers is delivering more traffic than it's taking. In other words, this looks like yet another case of claiming "net neutrality" when there's no actual net neutrality issue...
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Filed Under: content, net neutrality, video
Companies: comcast, level 3, zoom
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
It's double-dipping (or at least an attempt to.)
Comcast's customers are requesting data, Level 3/Netflix are happy to oblige. Comcast wants to set themselves up as a middleman and collect fees from both sides.
Asymmetric peering agreements are usually the result of party B carrying traffic b/t parties A and C. This seems pretty clear. Comcast should get its shit together and lay more cable and/or charge its customers more.
It's like they *want* net neutrality legislation. Only I know they don't.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re:
They could provide us with a fast network across the country, but that would make their legacy services (phone and cable TV) obsolete and they know it. They make a killing selling those services because they're dirt cheap to maintain and they rake in gobs of cash from both sides. The phone companies are the same. They continue to use the obsolete copper wire networks to deliver phone service knowing full well that people with even a 5 Mbps connection can use VoIP applications to talk to people for free. We don't need cable or the antiquated phone services anymore, but they keep their internet offerings anemic in order to keep us dependent on them.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
There's no need for its testing procedures in any event, since the FCC, UL, and CableLabs all conduct thorough tests for compatibility and safety.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re:
http://cable.tmcnet.com/news/2010/11/29/5163571.htm
[ link to this | view in thread ]
People can build and pay for their own IPX and the government would only need to link those for them, then bye bye Comcast.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Is that the real reason?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Could cross into net neutrality
Where this could cross over to a net neutrality issue is if Comcast is threatening to disallow exclusively Netflix traffic in it's negotiations on a commercial peering agreement. If that's the case it's headed down that slippery slope of charging for specific traffic. If Comcast can establish that principal it makes it much easier to charge backbone providers for specific traffic that may compete with Comcast's other business offerings. The backbone operators would be forced to pass those additional costs on to the traffic originators. Without a lot more details of the negotiations and agreements it's difficult to say one way or the other if this is a step onto that slippery slope but it definitely has that potential.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Net neutrality actually sides with Comcast
This is exactly why net neutrality is a bad idea. As Mike has said many times, we need better competition, not neutrality. That's the problem with Neutrals. You never know where you stand. Damn them and their neutrality.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Net neutrality actually sides with Comcast
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: Net neutrality actually sides with Comcast
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Sounds like the same math Comcast is using to charge twice for the same service.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Usually TechDirt is pretty good but I think they missed the core issue here.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in thread ]