[governance] Re: What is Network Neutrality

[McTim]

On Wed, Jan 14, 2009 at 7:44 PM, Meryem Marzouki <marzouki at ras.eu.org> wrote:
>
> Le 14 janv. 09 à 16:35, Ralf Bendrath a écrit :
>

<snip>

>
> But the point is, roughly speaking, that different contents/applications
> entering the same pipe of a given AS shouldn't be discriminated by this AS
> because of its nature, and this should apply to any AS on the internet
> route.

There are 2 things that spring to mind here:

1. ASs drop packets they aren't paid to handle (either peering or a
transit deal), so ASNs do discriminate based on that.

2. Some respect QoS bits more than others, which is obviously
discrimination, but not necessarily arbitrary or _bad_.

>
>> I guess
>> the point is that they should not use their market power to enter into
>> /arbitrary/ interconnection agreements because some other network provider
>
> Then we would have to define what is arbitrary and what is not, which
> doesn't advance the discussion.

Historically, and currently, networks can enter into an
interconnection/peering relationship as they wish.  Normally these
decisions are made rationally, based on business parameters.  However,
they can be made on personal factors (I know that person, and like
them, so will peer with them, even though the business case maybe a
50-50 call).

I think that regulating who can peer with which networks and on what
basis is a radical change from the current situation, although in some
places, interconnection is "mandatory" by government fiat.

We have it here in UG for example, and it's not enforced or enforceable.

The simple fact is that some networks may not want to peer with other
networks, "competing content" or not.

>
>> also offers competing content etc. Again, the whole point is "competing",
>> which leads to NN as non-exclusionary business deals.
>
> What kind of competition? What is competition and what is not? VoIP vs.
> mobile operators? IPTV vs. cable TV operators?

Very good questions.  Parminder says managed services are ok.  So does
this include IPTV? AT&T would say that it's U-Verse service is just
this.  Others would say it's "Internet Television"  Another worm in
the can IMO.


-- 
Cheers,

McTim
http://stateoftheinternetin.ug
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