Category Archives: Net Neutrality

I Dislike Tech Conferences for the Most Part…

. Data Centers, Net Neutrality, Networking, Service Providers . Leave a comment

There was a time in my life that I went to a lot of tech conferences.  The years 2010-2016 were pretty busy for me in terms of conferences, booths, speaking, attending, etc.  For the most part, I have very little interest in these events.  I think they are a huge waste of time outside of the socializing.  This week I took a half day on a Friday to attend the New England Peering Forum in Cambridge MA.  This was a small conference, with an interesting talk track and being local, I thought I would try it as the worse case outcome was I would leave early and start the weekend.
Continue reading →

Over The Top Service?

. Framing Exercise, Net Neutrality, Networking, Plexxi, SDN, Service Providers . Leave a comment

Most consumers are familiar with the availability of over the top (OTT) content. Examples are Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu and we could even include gaming services in the description. The model for an OTT content provider like Netflix is to ride over a user’s data plan, and that data plan can be DSL, FTTH as well as wireless to deliver content. The consumption model is disaggregated between the data plan (i.e. internet) provider and the content (i.e. service) provider. This is also the point at which there is tension between both parties in terms of the cost to deploy bandwidth and which party profits from the services that ride over the bandwidth. That is not a topic for this post.
Continue reading →

An Open Letter to Hobbyists

. Bandwidth Metering, Net Neutrality, Networking, SDN, Service Providers . Leave a comment
  • Bandwidth is the Software of the Network
  • Regulating the Single Network Pipe is Driving Forward while looking in the Rearview Mirror

With age and experience, time provides the ability to clearly spot irony. In 1976, Bill Gates sent an open letter to computer hobbyists expressing his displeasure for software piracy. The letter even has a Wikipedia page.  When I read the FCC proposals regarding new neutrality, I feel like we have been over and over this ground before. Thirty-nine years ago Bill Gates wrote his letter to hobbyists and the majority of it is worth reading in the context of the net-neutrality debate: Continue reading →

Completely Unscientific Study of Consumer Internet Prices

. Bandwidth Metering, Chain of Commerce, Net Neutrality, Networking, Service Providers . Leave a comment

Bandwidth is deflationary and I find any arguments to the contrary to be foolish. This is a subject I have written about before here, here, here and here. Over the past few weeks, I have been reminded that it is always easier to solve most networking problems by applying bandwidth. A few weeks ago I found myself reading one of Marc Andreessen tweet streams of conciseness and I replied (see below). After making the tweet I wondered if I was correct?

Screen Shot 2014-09-07 at 9.31.41 AM
Continue reading →

Comcast/Netflix Deal…what does it mean?

. Chain of Commerce, Exaflood, Net Neutrality, Networking, OTT, Service Providers . Leave a comment

I am curious to learn the details around the Comcast/Netflix deal that is being widely reported this afternoon.  Having spent the better part of the past twenty-years selling equipment to service providers of all types on most continents and in a variety of regulated constructs, the subject of net-neutrality and OTT have been a prominent subject in my blogs over the past eight years.  SIWDT is coming up three years old and one benefit that content has to me is it is searchable and I can go back and critique my thoughts.  I did a search on “net neutrality” and it came back with four prior posts.  I carved out a relevant quote from each post:

Continue reading →