[kictanet] Should streaming services pay ISPs for increased traffic?

Mon Oct 11 13:25:57 EAT 2021

I don't think that YouTube presents the same traffic problem to ISPs that
Netflix does. (By the way I'm an on and off Netflix subscriber so I haven't
particularly experienced any issues watching any big hyped shows like the
game of thrones or the Squid games at the moment) The nature of Netflix
content is similar to the movie theatres. When it's a blockbuster being
premiered like with the Bond movie this last week, the traffic to the movie
theaters is more as I experienced last weekend: But not when it's just
kawaida movies, and YouTube never churns out content in this fashion, so we
could remove them from the notorious list for now.

That being said, if anything I think it should only be Netflix
incentivising a rounded up figure not the content providers and if it means
Netflix deducts a cost from the content providers to forward to the ISPs,
so be it I suppose? At the end of the day, content gets broadcast as that
is the intention. Perhaps I'm being naive in imagining a perfect world
where such good business practices exist, but what if really? Or maybe once
5G becomes ubiquitous the conversation will change...

On Mon, 11 Oct 2021 at 13:09, Odhiambo Washington <odhiambo at gmail.com>
wrote:

> So, if Netflix, YT, and all the other content providers decide to
> incentivise, how will they measure how much the incentive has worked? And
> how much value do they get from their funds?
> Will the ISPs be incentivised based on the traffic volumes to the content
> providers or just a rounded up figure?
> Perhaps the best way out of this is for the ISPs to come together and ask
> the content providers to put their content infrastructure locally (mirror
> the content) so that their int'l bandwidth is left
> untouched???
>
>
> On Mon, Oct 11, 2021 at 12:58 PM Kathy Mwai via KICTANet <
> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
>
>> This seems to me to be a Business Sustainability Strategy for Netflix,
>> because if users don't have a good experience with its content as a result
>> of slow speeds, will people want to keep subscribing for a service they
>> feel they may not get the full experience of? And I suppose envisaging this
>> situation could be the reason why they have different packages based on
>> your pipe output. Netflix and content providers obviously majorly depend on
>> ISPs for the success of their undertaking, and so I feel that it is good
>> business practice for Netflix to incentivise ISPs to enable them
>> upgrade their services. And that they should probably do that especially in
>> geographies where they have high subscriptions and not just in the US, and
>> to be proactive about it. This way everyone stays in business...
>>
>> On Sat, 9 Oct 2021 at 09:53, Ali Hussein via KICTANet <
>> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
>>
>>> @Mwendwa Kivuva <kivuva at kictanet.or.ke> and all
>>>
>>> I think ISPs are not being realistic. On one hand they squeeze us on
>>> 'fair usage' on the other hand they are squeezing content providers for
>>> 'over using' their pipes. If content creation is so lucrative why not get
>>> into it?
>>>
>>> Let me remind everyone the principles of Net Neutrality -
>>>
>>> *Net neutrality is the concept that states that organizations, such as
>>> Internet service providers, should treat all data on the internet equally.
>>> It promotes a free and open internet, where users can access content
>>> without restriction, provided the content does not violate any laws.*
>>>
>>> If we allow this loop hole you suggest where does it end? Let's take a
>>> look at our local scenario in Kenya.
>>>
>>> Safaricom is already in the content business. If we allow this liberal
>>> interpretation of Net Neutrality it won't be long before they demand
>>> gatekeeping charges from Viusasa and other local content providers...Which
>>> will create a clear conflict of interest.
>>>
>>> Let's be careful. I have ALWAYS advocated for a clear Policy and
>>> Regulatory interpretation of Net Neutrality Rules in this country. We are
>>> yet to see any. MOICT and CA wako wapi?
>>>
>>> Regards
>>>
>>> *Ali Hussein*
>>>
>>> Fintech | Digital Transformation
>>>
>>>
>>> Tel: +254 713 601113
>>>
>>> Twitter: @AliHKassim
>>>
>>> Skype: abu-jomo
>>>
>>> LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim
>>> <http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Any information of a personal nature expressed in this email are purely
>>> mine and do not necessarily reflect the official positions of the
>>> organizations that I work with.
>>>
>>>
>>> On Fri, Oct 8, 2021 at 1:25 PM Mwendwa Kivuva via KICTANet <
>>> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Interesting angle Washington. It is indeed a chicken and egg situation.
>>>>
>>>> As a network engineer, you know the implication of the international
>>>> transit data on the cost of running an ISP. Profitability of an ISP is
>>>> based on the assumption that on average, the users will not consume more
>>>> than fair quota, and if they do, other users using limited services but
>>>> paying the same amount per package will compensate and balance out the
>>>> cost, leaving some margin for profitability. If streaming services squeeze
>>>> out this advantage from ISPs, which is very easy because you just leave the
>>>> service running, and it consumes all bandwidth, what recourse does ISPs
>>>> have? Increase the cost to consumers? Share the burden with commercial
>>>> content providers? Degrade service offered by content providers? Where
>>>> should the balance be?
>>>>
>>>> On Fri, 8 Oct 2021, 12:51 Odhiambo Washington via KICTANet, <
>>>> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On Fri, Oct 8, 2021 at 12:38 PM Mwendwa Kivuva via KICTANet <
>>>>> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> In the United States, Netflix has been paying a fee to broadband
>>>>>> provider Comcast Corp for faster streaming speeds.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> South Korea's ISP SK Broadband has sued Netflix to pay for costs from
>>>>>> increased network traffic and maintenance work because of a surge of
>>>>>> viewers to the U.S. firm's content.
>>>>>> Seoul court said Netflix should "reasonably" give something in return
>>>>>> to the internet service provider for network usage, and multiple South
>>>>>> Korean lawmakers have spoken out against content providers who do not pay
>>>>>> for network usage despite generating explosive traffic.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> other content providers such as Amazon, Apple and Facebook are paying
>>>>>> SK Broadband for usage of the network.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Should content providers compensate network providers for increased
>>>>>> traffic to their network? Is this a net neutrality issue where all content
>>>>>> should be treated equally?se or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam,
>>>>>> do not market your wares or qualifications.
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> How is my usage of my services I am paying my ISP for being
>>>>> interpreted as "usage by my content provider"?
>>>>> Is this the chicken-and-egg situation I have been hearing about?
>>>>> I am already paying my ISP. If I didn't, they'd not even see the
>>>>> traffic to Netflix, YT, etc.
>>>>>
>>>>> Content providers compensating network providers for increased traffic
>>>>> to their network seems like stealing for me. The content providers are not
>>>>> using the ISP network. It's the client who pays for the link who does. Do
>>>>> ISPs want to give FREE connections to me so that I can use Netflix, YT,
>>>>> HBOMax and have these content providers pay them for my own traffic?
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> Best regards,
>>>>> Odhiambo WASHINGTON,
>>>>> Nairobi,KE
>>>>> +254 7 3200 0004/+254 7 2274 3223
>>>>> "Oh, the cruft.", egrep -v '^$|^.*#' :-)
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>>>>>
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>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>
>>>>
>>>> KICTANet is a multi-stakeholder Think Tank for people and institutions
>>>> interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. KICTANet is a
>>>> catalyst for reform in the Information and Communication Technology sector.
>>>> Its work is guided by four pillars of Policy Advocacy, Capacity Building,
>>>> Research, and Stakeholder Engagement.
>>>>
>>>> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors
>>>> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth,
>>>> share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do
>>>> not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
>>>>
>>>> KICTANet - The Power of Communities, is Kenya's premier ICT policy
>>>> engagement platform.
>>>>
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>>>
>>> KICTANet is a multi-stakeholder Think Tank for people and institutions
>>> interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. KICTANet is a
>>> catalyst for reform in the Information and Communication Technology sector.
>>> Its work is guided by four pillars of Policy Advocacy, Capacity Building,
>>> Research, and Stakeholder Engagement.
>>>
>>> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors
>>> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth,
>>> share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do
>>> not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
>>>
>>> KICTANet - The Power of Communities, is Kenya's premier ICT policy
>>> engagement platform.
>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> *Dream and Your Dreams Will Fall Short <kathymwai at gmail.com>...*
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>>
>>
>> KICTANet is a multi-stakeholder Think Tank for people and institutions
>> interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. KICTANet is a
>> catalyst for reform in the Information and Communication Technology sector.
>> Its work is guided by four pillars of Policy Advocacy, Capacity Building,
>> Research, and Stakeholder Engagement.
>>
>> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors
>> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth,
>> share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do
>> not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
>>
>> KICTANet - The Power of Communities, is Kenya's premier ICT policy
>> engagement platform.
>>
>
>
> --
> Best regards,
> Odhiambo WASHINGTON,
> Nairobi,KE
> +254 7 3200 0004/+254 7 2274 3223
> "Oh, the cruft.", egrep -v '^$|^.*#' :-)
>

-- 
*Dream and Your Dreams Will Fall Short <kathymwai at gmail.com>...*
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