Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Cloud
    • Cloud
    • Mobile
    • Networking

    FCC’s Wheeler Says He’s Looking Into the ISP-Netflix Issue

    By
    Michelle Maisto
    -
    June 13, 2014
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin
      FCC

      For some Americans, the net neutrality issue can be summed up in whether or not Orange Is the New Black streams without bogging. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Tom Wheeler knows this, and in a June 13 statement he reminded Americans that he’s on the case.

      “Consumers pay their ISPs [Internet service providers] and they pay content providers like Hulu, Netflix or Amazon. Then when they don’t get good service they wonder what is going on,” wrote Wheeler. “I have experienced these problems myself and know how exasperating it can be.”

      He continued, “Consumers must get what they pay for. As the consumers’ representative, we need to know what is going on. I have therefore directed the Commission staff to obtain the information we need to understand precisely what is happening.”

      Wheeler also clarified that while the practices of ISPs, and particularly acts such as blocking or slowing down content, have fallen under the net neutrality umbrella, this is “another area of Internet access” that recent disputes between content provider Netflix and various ISPs have highlighted.

      The matter is also an important one for the FCC to get straightened out, as it’s in the process of deciding whether Comcast and Time Warner Cable, two of the larger ISPs, should be allowed to merge, as well as whether AT&T, which also offers Internet service, can purchase satellite TV provider DirecTV.

      Netflix has made no secret of the fact that it pays (with gritted teeth) ISPs such as Verizon a hefty sum to ensure that its content streams into subscribers’ living rooms as quickly as they expect. Recently, however, when users experienced slow buffering times, Netflix began explaining to them, when appropriate, that the fault was with the Verizon network and not Netflix’s service.

      “The Verizon network is crowded right now. Adjusting video for smoother playback,” said the message beside a triangle with an explanation point.

      Verizon responded on June 5 by threatening to sue Netflix if it didn’t stop displaying such error messages. It also said that Netflix had tried to save money by using “middle-man networks” to reach consumers.

      Netflix responded with a June 9 blog post in which it said that it doesn’t “purposely select congested routes” but rather pays “some of the world’s largest transit networks to deliver Netflix video right to the front door of an ISP.” Where the trouble begins is at the door, “when the broadband provider hasn’t provided enough capacity to accommodate the traffic their customer requested.”

      Netflix also posted an ISP Speed Index that it said was designed to “provide transparency and help consumers understand the Internet access they’re actually getting from their ISP.”

      The average Netflix stream, said Nexflix, is about 2M bps. According to the Index, during the month of May, Cablevision Optimum offered the highest average speed, 3.03M bps, while Verizon DSL (in 16th place) offered the lowest average speed, 1.05M bps.

      Comcast, which Netflix points out fell two slots to fifth place, had a May speed average of 2.72M bps, while Time Warner, at 2.45M bps, came in sixth.

      The FCC’s Wheeler says he’s not blaming any company at this point, but is rather “looking under the hood.”

      “The bottom line,” he added, “is that consumers need to understand what is occurring when the Internet service they’ve paid for does not adequately deliver the content they desire, especially content they’ve also paid for. … It’s important that we know [what’s going on]—and that consumers know.”

      It’s also critical that in the merger decisions ahead, the FCC is clear on exactly what it’s giving a red or green light to.

      Follow Michelle Maisto on Twitter.

      Michelle Maisto
      Michelle Maisto has been covering the enterprise mobility space for a decade, beginning with Knowledge Management, Field Force Automation and eCRM, and most recently as the editor-in-chief of Mobile Enterprise magazine. She earned an MFA in nonfiction writing from Columbia University, and in her spare time obsesses about food. Her first book, The Gastronomy of Marriage, if forthcoming from Random House in September 2009.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Applications

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Applications

      Kyndryl’s Nicolas Sekkaki on Handling AI and...

      James Maguire - November 9, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nicolas Sekkaki, Group Practice Leader for Applications, Data and AI at Kyndryl, about how companies can boost both their AI and...
      Read more
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×