[governance] Re: Comcast Blocks Some Internet Traffic

[Dan Krimm]

At 2:19 PM -0300 10/25/07, carlos a. afonso wrote:
>Milton, they should not "handle" packets. The carriers should just let
>them pass, like cars in a highway... :)


Unfortunately that metaphor doesn't work, however attractive it may be.

Once a road is built, the builder requires no energy to keep traffic moving
on it (aside from occasional maintenance when the road cracks).  On the
Internet, the "pipe builders" are also "pipe operators" and must invest
much energy and resources in keeping it running.

A road is a product.  Internet data transfer is a service.

Something to keep in mind.

Yes, ISPs should "handle" packets in the most unintrusive manner feasible.
But they do indeed have to "handle" them, or otherwise those packets will
come to a halt, because they are not self-powered.  The cost of data
distribution on the net is "near zero" but not absolute zero.

Dan
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