Netflix Hoping For Free Network Access From ISPs

sabri writes: Netflix soared on Wall Street today after their earnings announcement. They also stated that they hope to get more free network access arrangements (aka "free peering"). Fortune reports: "Netflix hopes the Charter peering pledge could serve not only its own interests, but establish an industry-wide practice for internet TV. Hastings said he hopes free peering will spare the emerging industry from the sort of battles that continue to plague the cable TV industry industry, in which stations go dark whenever distributor and content owner haggle over a 'retransmission' price."

Comments

Re:Wouldn't apply to Netflix

[Shatrat]

No, it really isn't. This is about Retail ISPs who also sell video (cable companies) wanting to limit access to Netflix for their customers without doing something obviously like rate limiting/filterering at the gateway router. The 'people in the middle' like Level3 and Cogent are bypassed completely when Netflix peers with an ISP, which saves both Netflix and the ISP money. Hint: I work for an ISP, we don't sell video, we peer with Netflix everywhere we are able as well as install their caching appliances in our offices to reduce our transit and backhaul costs.