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AT&T Proposes Net Neutrality Compromise
An anonymous reader writes: The net neutrality debate has been pretty binary: ISPs want the ability to create so-called "fast lanes," and consumers want all traffic to be treated equally. Now, AT&T is proposing an alternative: fast lanes under consumer control. Their idea would "allow individual consumers to ask that some applications, such as Netflix, receive priority treatment over other services, such as e-mail or online video games. That's different from the FCC's current proposal, which tacitly allows Internet providers to charge content companies for priority access to consumers but doesn't give the consumers a choice in the matter."
AT&T said, "Such an approach would preserve the ability of Internet service providers to engage in individualized negotiations with [content companies] for a host of services, while prohibiting the precise practice that has raised 'fast lane' concerns." It's not perfect, but it's probably the first earnest attempt at a compromise we've seen from either side, and it suggests the discussion can move forward without completely rejecting one group's wishes.
AT&T said, "Such an approach would preserve the ability of Internet service providers to engage in individualized negotiations with [content companies] for a host of services, while prohibiting the precise practice that has raised 'fast lane' concerns." It's not perfect, but it's probably the first earnest attempt at a compromise we've seen from either side, and it suggests the discussion can move forward without completely rejecting one group's wishes.
"Isn't QoS supported by most home type routers,"
If you're using a "home type router," my guess is you have no other internal hops. And, your ISP isn't going to pay any attention to how you mark QoS in what you send out.
So, exactly what do you expect that QoS support to do? QoS provides very little benefit unless it is end-to-end.
"National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
How about the ISP's spend a little money to give Americans a first world infrastructure?
I live in Japan and have 200Mps fiber with no caps for about the price of two pizzas per month. I've had at least 100Mps fiber (or 45Mps ADSL) for over ten years. I had 50 Mps fiber in 2000.
No, I don't live in the middle of a big city. I've lived in the suburbs no different than any suburban area or small city in the US, I've lived in the countryside for a year with no fiber, but had 45Mps about eight years ago.
And don't come back with the "US is too biiiiig!" excuse. You have electricity, water and gas, don't you? How did you get that if the area you live in is "Too biiiig!" The density where I live is no more than a place like Nashville, or Arlington Heights, or Jacksonville, or Albuquerque, or Portland, or Anytown, USA.
How did I get reasonable cost, high-speed fiber? Competition. There are no exclusive franchises or politicians controlling the internet business. Companies invested in infrastructure and competed to win customers with better and faster service with lower pricing. Most areas are now wired for 1Gps, and will be opened when the time comes to fill that bandwidth.
Your politicians and unelected regulatory gangs, er, agencies have hoodwinked you into forgetting that investment into infrastructure is amortized and not a fixed cost forever. Price should be going down and service should be better and faster... and ISP's would still be making mountains of money.
I doubt it's going to change, but I do wish you had options and at least 2nd-world service.
I would like everything to be on the fast lane all the time... just like you promised when I paid you far too much for my connection ....
Puteulanus fenestra mortis
"For IPv4, QoS simply means reordering packets"
Uh, no. Do some reading on diffserv. There are mechanisms to accommodate a range of bandwidth (assurance) and latency (expediency) needs. QoS is much more than simply reordering packets, and includes things like classification, marking, queue management (strict vs. RED/WRED vs. WFQ), policing, shaping, trust relationships, etc.
"National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law