The trial between the operator in the U.S. telecoms regulator has opened. Verizon claims the right to manage its traffic as it sees fit, to counter the increasing burden imposed sites like Netflix on its network.
There is not only France that telecom operators seeking to help the web "over the top" platforms (OTT) to finance their investments in network infrastructure. The problem is raised for a long time : it is the monopolization of bandwidth by a small number of players in the huge audience and asking a lot of network capacity, ie platforms demand video such as YouTube and Netflix. In France, the standoff between Free YouTube and highlighted the impact that these conflicts can have on consumers.
In the United States, it is Verizon that puts his foot in it. His lawsuit against the U.S. telecoms regulator (FCC) has just begun in the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, reports Les Echos . Verizon requires the ability to manage traffic on its network as it sees fit, blocking or slowing some sites depending on the amount of data flowing at a time T. This practice is contrary to the principle of net neutrality, is not allowed in the United States at present.
Verizon is supported by Comcast (which has already won a battle on the same issue facing the FCC in 2010), AT & T, Liberty Media, T-Mobile and Sprint. All are facing the same problem in the evening, the United States, Netflix occupies a third of the traffic! They would be able to force Netflix to pay to get their data to their customers.
But this kind of practice is double-edged and demands a clear framework. Otherwise nothing would prevent the most powerful financial actors, telcos pay to see their traffic prioritized on their networks, which increase the tendency to monopoly internet.
