Net neutrality is a policy that has faced criticism over recent years as ever-increasing demand for mobile and fixed-line broadband has challenged service providers. It seems impossible for the internet service providers to keep up with this demand especially across mobile broadband networks, which already appear to be failing within heavily populated areas in the UK.
Thus far the service providers have been using a number of demand management techniques to balance this, such as limiting downloads based on the level of service bought (i.e. pay more to receive more). The increasing popularity of online voice and video services, starting with YouTube and Skype, and more recently with the introduction of BBC's iPlayer and other online TV platforms, has exacerbated the need to manage demand. Video and voice based services require consistent bandwidth with minimal jitter and, while this can usually be prioritised by ISPs, it significantly reduces the bandwidth available for other IP content, such as website access or peer-to-peer services.
In the US there is already a dispute raging between Comcast and Level 3 Communications. Comcast wants to charge Level 3 Communications for considerable traffic originating from Level 3's customer Netflix, a video content provider.
In the UK BT Wholesale appears to have broken ranks by offering its Content Connect service. This enables content providers to pay a premium to have their content hosted closer to the edge, i.e. closer to the users. What is an obvious attempt to reduce load across the internet backbone and trunk links should improve response times and throughput for all users. However it has faced criticism from sceptics who believe this is a commercial challenge to net neutrality.
[The BBC coverage of the release of this service can be found here.]
The FCC's new net neutrality rules (PDF), UK Minister Ed Vaizey's comments (later partly retracted) and BT Wholesale's new service have fired up the debate on net neutrality further; the question remains as to whether it is in the best long-term interest of the consumer. Capacitas is following this debate closer and is currently working on a whitepaper on this topic to be released later in the year.
