The Network

Effect: Net

NeutralityMAC309

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How does the internet work?

The End-to-End Principle 1981, Saltzer, Reed & Clark Reliable data transfer between two

communication end points in a distributed network

Built upon earlier ARPANET

Internet Protocol Suite TCP/IP

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server

server

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server

server

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69.63.184.11www.facebook.com

74.125.79.94www.google.co.uk

212.58.241.131www.bbc.co.uk

199.59.149.198www.twitter.com

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facebook.comserver

client

home

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facebook.comserver

client

ISPhome

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facebook.comserver

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ISPhome

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client

ISP

gmail.com

client

home

friend

ISP

bt.yahoo.com

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client

ISP

gmail.com

client

home

friend

ISP

bt.yahoo.com

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client

ISP

gmail.com

client

home

friend

ISP

bt.yahoo.com

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client

ISP

gmail.com

client

home

friend

ISP

bt.yahoo.com

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A basic network5 points10 connections

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A medium sized network10 points45 connections

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A medium sized network10 points45 connections

Data roams freely?Proxy servers

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End-to-end principleThe Internet is a “dumb” networkTCP/IP protocols

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Global root servers

20ICANN map

The layers principle

1. Content layer

2. Logical layer

3. Physical layer

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The layers principle

1. Content layer

2. Logical layer

3. Physical layer

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Battles at each layer level:-Legal-Technical-Social-Market

1 – the content layer

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1 – the content layer

Battle around copyright and intellectual property (cut & paste)

Tougher laws

ISPs refusing to ‘police’ the ‘net

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2 – the logical layer

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2 – the logical layer

Data and Internet traffic

Battle against software misuse (DDoS)

P2P, BitTorrent

Domain phishing

Open source

API abuse

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3 – the physical layer

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Phishing site example

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3 – the physical layer

Battles around hardware

Free wi-fi

Internet enabled devices

Generativity (Zittrain, 2008)

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“The Cycle”

Each new communications platform begins with openness and excitement

Entrepreneurs, then industry shape expectations Offer guaranteed service Better content More uniform product

Leads to closed monopolies Lack of transparency Commerce over freedoms

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How does the internet work?

The End-to-End Principle 1981, Saltzer, Reed & Clark Reliable data transfer between two

communication end points in a distributed network

Built upon earlier ARPANET

Internet Protocol Suite TCP/IP

Traffic management Web blocking Censorship

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2 sides?

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‘Internet regulation is about more than just law’

Interaction between various aspects: Legal Technical Social Market

‘Net neutrality … is a debate about regulation and influence at the interface of the logical and physical layers’ (Ganley & Algrove, 2006: 456)

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Bit parity

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INTERNET

•A ‘dumb network’•All data packets treat the same•Devices at the end do the work

•The network shows no preferences•Should it stay this way?

‘Net neutrality means simply that all like Internet content must be treated alike and move at the same speed over the network. The owners of the Internet's wires cannot discriminate. This is the simple but brilliant "end-to-end" design of the Internet that has made it such a powerful force for economic and social good.’ Lessig & McChesney, 2006

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2 tiered Internet?

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They who own the pipes, own the future…

Control in the hands of the network operators (ie the ISPs)

Currently, ISPs attempt to manage traffic via: Application of ‘bit parity’ Control flow during peak times; certain data

prioritised 24/7 ‘deep packet inspection’ discrimination

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Comcast (US) secretly disrupted customer connections when using BitTorrent application Also interfered with other services (Lotus Notes)

Forced to reveal behaviour to FCC

Customers not entitled to use their bandwidth as they wish Anderson, 2008

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INTERNET

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INTERNET

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Service provider discrimination

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VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)

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INTERNET

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INTERNET

WTF!?I can’t hear U.Teh interwebs

is borked!

Application discrimination

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INTERNET

That’s better!

Lulz

What if ISPs enter video market?

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Traffic management already happens

Blocking and tiering

2004: ISP Madison River blocked Vonage’s VoiP services

2006: ISP AOL blocked access to www.dearaol.com

2007: ISP Comcast blocked BitTorrent

2008: ISP Tele2 blocked access to http://thepiratebay.org

2008: ISP Pakistan Telecom blocked YouTube

2009: IPRED law to monitor all Swedish web traffic

2010: Italian ISPs block access to Pirate Bay

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‘Any provider that blocks access to content is inviting customers to find another provider. And that’s just bad business.’ AT&T CEO Ed Whitacre, 2006,

http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1035_22-147323.html

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‘this net neutrality thing is a load of bollocks’ Virgin Media CEO Neil Berkett, 2008

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/digitaltv/a93556/virgin-media-ceo-attacks-net-neutrality.html

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Who are the interested parties?

ISPs!

Large content providers (eg games developers, movie studios, etc)

Established online businesses

Police

Internet users!

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Infrastucture

The Internet as we know it is at breaking point Video streaming P2P VPN Cyberwarfare (DDoS attacks)

2006: BT invested £10 billion in 21CN

July 2008: BT announced further £1.5 billion investment in NGA

40 Mb/s to 10m homes by 2010

Cost to update entire UK: £25 billion

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ISPs on infrastructure proportionality

‘‘They [search engines] don’t have any fibre out there. They don’t have any wires. They use my lines for free – and that’s bull. For a Google or a Yahoo or a Vonage or anybody to expect to use these pipes for free is nuts!’’ AT&T CEO Ed Whitacre, 2006

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Who to charge?

Successful content providers?

Customers? Already been paying for years?

Are ISPs even entitled to a cut of the revenue for a successful service like eBay, YouTube, Facebook, etc? What impact will this have on new services? What impact will this have on end-users?

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Irony?

Pro-net neutrality = regulation

Anti-net neutrality = ISPs free reign

Regulation usually stifles competition but in this case will it do the opposite? The early Internet was largely unregulated

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From Digital Britain 2008 report:

[ISPs] can take action to manage the flow of data … on their networks to retain levels of service to users or for other reasons. The concept of so-called ‘net neutrality’, requires those managing a network to refrain from taking action to manage traffic on that network. It also prevents giving to the delivery of any one service preference over the delivery of others. Net neutrality is sometimes cited by various parties in defence of internet freedom, innovation and consumer choice. The debate over possible legislation in pursuit of this goal has been stronger in the US than in the UK.

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From Digital Britain 2008 report:

Ofcom has in the past acknowledged the claims in the debate but have also acknowledged that ISPs might in future wish to offer guaranteed service levels to content providers in exchange for increased fees. In turn this could lead to differentiation of offers and promote investment in higher-speed access networks. Net neutrality regulation might prevent this sort of innovation.

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From Digital Britain 2008 report:

Ofcom has stated that provided consumers are properly informed, such new business models could be an important part of the investment case for Next Generation Access, provided consumers are properly informed.

On the same basis, the Government has yet to see a case for legislation in favour of net neutrality. In consequence, unless Ofcom find network operators or ISPs to have Significant Market Power and justify intervention on competition grounds, traffic management will not be prevented.

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Questions

Where does this debate lead to?

What are the implications of a two-tiered Internet? For consumers? For businesses?

What are the implications of a filtered Internet? For consumers? For businesses? For politics? For activism?

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Role play

See role play handouts

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Asides

Google wants its own fast track on the Web http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122929270127905065.html?

mod=googlenews_wsj

Bloggers trash Journal’s tale of cyber queue-jumping http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/dec/21/blogging-google-wall-street-

journal-murdoch

The made-up drama’s of the Wall Street Journal http://www.lessig.org/blog/2008/12/the_madeup_dramas_of_the_wall.html

Do we need a new Internet? http://futureoftheinternet.org/do-we-need-a-new-internet

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