dslreports logo
 
    All Forums Hot Topics Gallery
spc
Search similar:


uniqs
1649

famines
@dsl.bell.ca

famines

Anon

Cost of bandwidth Uploading vs Downloading for an ISP?

What is the cost to, say Bell, for a user to upload than to download? I've often heard that it's more costly for ISPs when their users are uploading. So around what is the cost differential? Is there a ratio, like 3:1?

I'm curious cause I mainly download (a lot). And now I wonder if I'll be able to get real unlimited service in the coming year or two without paying astronomical fees.

Adam20
Premium Member
join:2007-07-19
Sarnia, ON

Adam20

Premium Member

With Bell No.

Taylortbb
Premium Member
join:2007-02-18
Kitchener, ON

Taylortbb to famines

Premium Member

to famines
said by famines :

What is the cost to, say Bell, for a user to upload than to download? I've often heard that it's more costly for ISPs when their users are uploading. So around what is the cost differential? Is there a ratio, like 3:1?
That's almost certainly not true. Fibre connections (what your ISP uses upstream) are billed to the 95th percentile of whichever is higher (of downstream/upstream). Seeing as most users download more than they upload, a residential ISP will typically have far high downstream usage. Any single user uploading wont make a huge difference on overall traffic volume, keeping downstream the speed that billing is computed off of. As a result to an ISP you uploading is effectively free.

pstewart
Premium Member
join:2005-10-12
Peterborough, ON

pstewart

Premium Member

Bear in mind that while a lot of people "at their computers" download, many leave their Torrents etc. online 24 hours a day generating a substantial amount of upload traffic overall.

We (Nexicom) sit around 4:5 in favour of inbound - this could be skewed somewhat due to colocation customers that are 90% outbound however...

Canaca
Premium Member
join:2007-03-05
Mississauga, ON

2 edits

Canaca

Premium Member

When you order a 1Gbps or 10Gbps line your paying for Full Duplex. It does not matter how much you use on upstream or downstream. Some ISP's may be purchasing bandwidth based on GB or TB, but this is not that common once you reach larger requirements.

Like Taylortbb stated either your upload or dowload will be effectively free depending on what your core business is.

A good example is Web Hosting. On average it uses the opposite of DSL. The best case scenario for an ISP is to find the right balance of services that evenly consume both ends of the Full Duplex line. Once again like Taylortbb you effectively get to provide transit for one of your services for free.

Best Regards,
»www.acanac.ca
Canaca

1 edit

Canaca

Premium Member

I should add that cable services do have some limitation on the total available upload bandwidth. In this case it would cost more to upload than download. This is not at the core, but on the last mile of service. Once you reach the core once again it would not make a difference.

Best Regards,
Paul
»www.acanac.ca

pstewart
Premium Member
join:2005-10-12
Peterborough, ON

pstewart to famines

Premium Member

to famines
What Paul @ Acanac has mentioned is generally true - some transit providers will provide special pricing (more in the US than Canada however) for different traffic types because they have have surplus in one direction over the other. This usually only comes into play when negotiating 10GE circuits in particular.

famines
@dsl.bell.ca

famines to famines

Anon

to famines
I guess I got that myth busted. so the answer is generally no, with some exceptions either way. thanks for satisfying my curiosity.