Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

BT Content Connect May Impact Net Neutrality

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the only-a-matter-of-time dept.

a Flatbed Darkly writes "BT's Content Connect, a service which many have accused of threatening net neutrality, has apparently launched, although it is unknown whether or not any ISPs have bought or are planning to buy it yet; BT has denied the allegations, from Open Rights Group among others, that this, despite certainly being an anti-competitive service, does not create a two-tier internet. From the article: '"Contrary to recent reports in the media, BT's Content Connect service will not create a two-tier internet, but will simply offer service providers the option of differentiating their broadband offering through enhanced content delivery," a BT spokeswoman said.'"

4 of 138 comments (clear)

  1. Welcome to new-speak by Libertarian001 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    She denies that their service creates a two-tier internet, then goes on to describe their service which, is to create a two-tier internet. Nice.

    1. Re:Welcome to new-speak by ThreeGigs · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Um, did you read up and understand what this is all about? Or am I misunderstanding completely what BT is offering? Seems to me BT is simply offering to cache content on their own network to eliminate a lot of network hops, and reduce latency.

      Can someone tell me how an ISP offering to cache media content, for a price, violates net neutrality or somehow manages to create a two-tier internet? Is Netflix _not_ allowed to pay BT to keep a copy of their movies available just for BT customers? Is BT _not_ allowed to cache high usage content that gets repeated hits from their users? I absolutely, positively don't see why anyone is making a big deal of this. Caching servers have been around for ages, and this seems to be just the next logical step. Are caching proxies now verboten?

  2. Re:differentiating = not neutral by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    In UK terms, back-haul refers to the connection from the ADSL provider's kit in the exchange ( central office ) back to the ISP's network through the ADSL provider's POPs. This is distinct from the ISP's connection to the Internet ( Level 3 in your example ).

    ISPs which rent ADSL services wholesale from BT Group generally use BT's back-haul but there are various back-haul options ( big players being BE, Easynet and C&W ).

    This BT service delivers content from the POPs, so that the ISP's backhaul is not loaded with streaming media.

  3. Re:two tiers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    No, they do it by putting mirror nodes in local exchanges, freeing redundant, duplicated transmissions. Not stealing, releasing.