BBC will alert users if ISPs throttle iPlayer

[Simon]

The BBC has said it will alert consumers if ISPs choose to degrade the quality of its iPlayer service.

The warning comes after Communications Minister Ed Vaizey suggested the Government had no plans to protect net neutrality, and would leave decisions on web traffic management to ISPs and content providers.

That could lead to a two-tier internet, where content providers cut deals with ISPs to ensure their services get prominence over other net traffic.

Read more: http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/broadband/362950/bbc-will-alert-users-if-isps-throttle-iplayer

[Technical Ben]

I'm in two minds on this. There is no way to stop the tide coming in. But I don't want to get washed away. Hope I can find a little dingy with "IDNet" stickers on it to weather the storm.

[Simon]

I wouldn't trust BT not to pull the plug out, Ben. 

[pctech]

Hmmmm this reminds me of a debate that raged over on the Zen and TVCatchup forums about high quality feeds from TVCatchup.

There was some technical reason (possibly the throughput they asked for) that Zen wouldn't peer directly with their service provider.

So if you try and select HQ streams it gives you a message that it's not available due to your ISP but in any event the standard feed drinks bandwidth like a fish.

[DorsetBoy]

Shame someone can't throttle Vaisey .

[Rik]

Volunteers anyone? 

[pctech]

Shame someone can't throttle Vaisey .

I saw Hazel Blears on This Week last night, I'd pay good money if someone neutralised her.  

[Rik]

I'd pay good money to watch.

[DorsetBoy]

I saw Hazel Blears on This Week last night, I'd pay good money if someone neutralised her.  

Her name doesn't exactly do much for her either , sounds like someone vomiting .... B l e a r s  

[Rik]

Good point, Dorset.

[Technical Ben]

What about things like multi-casting? Reducing the bottle necks at the exchanges and the likes?
I wonder, with everyone having Wi-Fi these days, if city centres could not use peer to peer and wifi to reduce exchange congestion.
Basically, BBC iPlayer streams to customer 1. They then stream over their wifi to their neighbours (as it's a live feed). Result? 1 connection to the exchange, instead of 2 or more.

Can I patent the idea now? 

[Rik]

You can try.

[pctech]

Wouldn't go down well with the ISPs Ben as everyone effectively has a psuedo-wire connection to their ISPs, if you did that everyone would effectively use the same ISP.

Debating neutrality in Britain is a bit academic really as all ISPs tend to have at least one American transit provider feed.

[pctech]

And dear old Auntie has outsourced its content hosting to Limelight Networks which is also based Stateside.

[Rik]

That should help.

[pctech]

It might but the person/body that will really decide whether the net stays neutral is the US Government.

[Rik]

Whatever that might be, House or Executive?

[Technical Ben]

Wouldn't go down well with the ISPs Ben as everyone effectively has a psuedo-wire connection to their ISPs, if you did that everyone would effectively use the same ISP.

Debating neutrality in Britain is a bit academic really as all ISPs tend to have at least one American transit provider feed.

I was thinking more over BTs current Network, as it's such high saturation, they could do it for themselves and them only. Other ISPs may not have a high enough concentration of customers in an area to do it.

[Technical Ben]

It might but the person/body that will really decide whether the net stays neutral is the US Government.

I'm liking the look of the Akamai network. Might help bring things in to a local location.

[pctech]

Akjamai operate remote cache servers located at IXPs such as LINX and certain ISPs but everything is controlled from the States.

[Technical Ben]

Akjamai operate remote cache servers located at IXPs such as LINX and certain ISPs but everything is controlled from the States.

Yep. But I thought it meant we are not using a pipe through the usa, but one more local (they at least have a EU server).

[drummer]

The BBC has said it will alert consumers if ISPs choose to degrade the quality of its iPlayer service.

The warning comes after Communications Minister Ed Vaizey suggested the Government had no plans to protect net neutrality, and would leave decisions on web traffic management to ISPs and content providers.

That could lead to a two-tier internet, where content providers cut deals with ISPs to ensure their services get prominence over other net traffic.

Read more: http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/broadband/362950/bbc-will-alert-users-if-isps-throttle-iplayer

I find it astonishing that the web-savvy users of this forum don't even want to discuss this very serious threat to net neutrality.

Abandoning net neutrality is all about favouring big business and nothing more.

Ed Vaizey is just softening us up for a two-tier interweb that will cost us more actual money for stuff we currently enjoy via our (paid-for) internet connection.

Without net neutrality, the internet will be dominated by the larger media conglomerates.

Just say "NO" to the abandonment of net neutrality!

This is actually serious sh!t.

[pctech]

Akamai have servers hosted with varioius ISPs and I stand corrected, Akamai seem to host most of the Beeb's content.

My point was that as a US company it's deals are done in the US so it means that if a US firm pays more than say the BBC it will get a bigger share of the disk space/bandwidth from those cache servers.