Verizon continues to call Netflix's bluff on buffering

[steve2470]

http://www.zdnet.com/verizon-continues-to-call-netflixs-bluff-on-buffering-7000031468/



The ongoing public spat between Netflix and broadband providers continues this week with one of the most vocal telco opponents issuing another rebuttal.

That would be Verizon, which has been at odds with the online video giant for months now -- a battle that served as one of the catalysts for the heated net neutrality debate.

David Young, vice president of Federal Regulatory Affairs at Verizon, penned a new memo on Thursday that essentially attempts to call Netflix's bluff once again on buffering rates.

Young rebuffed claims that Verizon was "throttling" Netflix traffic on its FiOS network. Netflix has been called out in numerous surveys in past months proving to be one of the largest single sources for bandwidth usage nationwide.


IT people, feel free to chime in.

[Gman]

1. As is the usual case with telcos

They distract from the main issue that the consumer is paying the telco. for Internet access. It doesn't matter if it's Netflix, porn, music, whatever. The telco is being paid to provide the service to the consumer. Netflix is already paying for Internet access. But it's like me calling you on my landline. I pay for a phone, you pay for a phone. But your telco also wants to charge me if the call is too long.

It's bullshit. Internet access needs to be considered a public utility and regulated as such.

[Armstead]

4. That's true -- They want to push everything onlune then it ought to be public utility

[PoliticAverse]

5. Just because 'Netflix is already paying for Internet access' doesn't mean they are paying

for sufficient Internet access. Content providers have to pay for enough bandwidth for their content (that's how the
Internet works).

Most roads are publicly operated, do you think there is no congestion on any of them at 'rush hour'?

[htuttle]

6. Netflix is paying a ginormous bundle of cash to Amazon Web Services for bandwidth every month

If anything, this argument should be between Verizon and AWS, not Netflix.

If I pay for a 20 MB connection to my house, I don't see why I can't expect use it at the capacity I paid for. If I can't, due to infrastructure issues at the ISP's end, they shouldn't sell me a 20 MB connection.

There's a similar, but actually far worse, situation with cellular data carriers. Don't get me started on that one...

on edit:
In a way the issue is similar to airlines overselling seats, based on the statistical probability that some portion of the passengers won't show up. When they occasionally do all show up, the airlines end up screwing somebody who paid for a seat.

[Gman]

9. Netflix may well be be paying a different company than Verizon for access. They buy plenty

of bandwidth on their end. The issue is Verizon doesn't like it that they have to carry so much of Netflix' data that is coming from somewhere else which amounts to discriminating against certain data.

Then there's the side, unspoken issue of Netflix competing with Verizon's TV business over VZ's FIOS network.

[PoliticAverse]

2. The question prompted by the diagram is: Who is responsible for the pipe(s) from Netflix to...

Verizon's 'Los Angeles Border Router'?

[jeff47]

3. If there are more than 6 people in the Los Angeles area with 75Mbps Verizon connections...

...I would be astounded.

Aside from that complete bullshit in the graphic, what it comes down to is Verizon saying "Nuh-huh!! It was other ISPs that got in the way!! Honest! We are nothing but goodness and light."

[X_Digger]

7. Having worked for Verizon, Fios On Demand, and their own streaming app (flexview/flexview library)..

.. as well as with their redbox co-branded venture..

I can say with 100% certainty that Verizon is using doublespeak here- they prioritize everything above netflix. So while they may not be actively throttling netflix, they're doing everything short of that to push their own video services, and/or those of their partners.

[steve2470]

8. thanks for your input

It certainly helps to counter the propaganda Verizon is putting out.