Topic 'Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?' in forum '' - dslreports.com

Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 22:34:43 EDT

Corehhi posted :

said by Ulmo:

Seriously, I would not mind Netflix charging a surcharge for every ISP that is outside of its range of "base-cost" by being more expensive, and perhaps even a discount for those ISPs that are under the base-cost range. This surcharge would be listed in their advertising literature as "Surcharge $1 to $15 per month for Comcast depending on product level purchased.", or "35% higher monthly subscription cost for Comcast users", or whatever. I totally wouldn't mind. Passing on real costs to customers is a good idea, not a bad one.

Only problem there is in my case my ISP sells me a line of a certain speed with no limits on what or how much I download or upload. Why should I be singled out to pay more for Netflix??? I could hit the torrents and be downloading 24 hrs a day, I don't see a rule that says I can't do that.

My only point is it's a bad idea to start paying the ISP for different things. They can try limits etc. up to them but never even suggest that comcast should pick out certain services to charge more. You do know that comcast isn't giving money back to Granny who only uses the internet for a few emails and a couple of pictures a month.

BTW I do agree that people who use wild amounts of bandwidth should be forced into business tiers or higher priced residential user tier. Problem there is the ISP's always come up with such a low figure for bandwidth that they can simply F' off. Back to "never give these guys a inch or they will screw you".

Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?

Sun, 05 Dec 2010 00:52:22 EDT

Ulmo posted : First of all, I'll mention an aside before getting to my main point: I think there's room in the freer but still regulated marketplace for data delivery companies that aren't gatekeepers of data (forbid gatekeeping (content sales) of data by data delivery companies).

I think you're right that Comcast has a vested interest in Netflix failing and/or not being used as much or at the same price points. So, let's consider a scenario where Comcast succeeds in eliminating all of its competition for content. I.e., basically make the Internet useless for whatever content Comcast eliminated, unless you are a BitTorrent user getting your own stuff through hook or crook.

Well, in that scenario, the world Comcast just made for themselves is one in which its users represent the desire of the marketplace less and less (when you're autocratic, feedback on your quality is poor), and furthermore a lot of your competition is users who simply get almost all of what they want almost when they want almost for free using BitTorrent instead.

Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?

Sun, 05 Dec 2010 00:39:53 EDT

Ulmo posted : So, let's say we let everyone haggle everything here, just for demonstration purposes. Let's further suppose that the outcome of the haggling is that Comcast charges L3 a lot, L3 raises its prices to Netflix, and this happens widely enough between Comcast & Netflix with or without anybody else in the middle that Netflix has a higher cost for Comcast customers than many other customers, and therefore Netflix can consider charging ITS customers more for being ON Comcast.

So, the not-so-free market would still work: you would then have to consider switching to AT&T U-Verse to receive a lower cost Netflix (!, !!, !!!).

Seriously, I would not mind Netflix charging a surcharge for every ISP that is outside of its range of "base-cost" by being more expensive, and perhaps even a discount for those ISPs that are under the base-cost range. This surcharge would be listed in their advertising literature as "Surcharge $1 to $15 per month for Comcast depending on product level purchased.", or "35% higher monthly subscription cost for Comcast users", or whatever. I totally wouldn't mind. Passing on real costs to customers is a good idea, not a bad one.

Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?

Fri, 03 Dec 2010 02:18:14 EDT

FFH5 posted :

They aren't a tier anything ISP -- they are a consumer ISP who isn't providing transit to anybody. Their customers are end users, not other ISPs.

How do you know that? Comcast has a huge national backbone of their own. More than likely they have peering arrangements with other ISPs. For alternate backup paths if for nothing else.

Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?

Fri, 03 Dec 2010 01:14:23 EDT

cramer posted : Comcast also seems to think Level3 gets free linecards from Cisco, Juniper, etc... those 10G ports have to get plugged into something on *both* sides. They also think they are a tier 1 ISP. They aren't. They aren't a tier anything ISP -- they are a consumer ISP who isn't providing transit to anybody. Their customers are end users, not other ISPs.

Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 23:34:24 EDT

Corehhi posted :

said by Competitive :

You're all missing the point. Comcast as a video cable provider has a VESTED INTEREST in seeing Netflix fail, and that can be achieved by jacking up their prices.

Yep.....

Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 23:20:37 EDT

GlennLouEarl posted : Sorry, can't--every time I start reading anything from Comcast, it puts me to sleep.

Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 23:18:26 EDT

GlennLouEarl posted : More or less, that's about it. Comcast is trying to add something to their "peering equation" that isn't really there and make it into something it isn't and was never designed to be, namely, another revenue source for Comcast. The "simple" part of this is that Level 3 is not sending Comcast any traffic "out of the blue"; they're just delivering the traffic that Comcast [customers] have requested [from Netflix, and other sites on the Internet]. Level 3 wants to provide all of the capacity to Netflix that it--Netflix--needs; Comcast gives every indication of having no matching concern for satisfying its customers access needs, at least, not at Comcast's expense (monthly fees be damned). Comcast seems to want everyone else to pay for their network, and they don't seem to want their customers to actually use that network for its intended purpose, namely, to access the Internet. (Hey, Comcast... you do know what "ISP" stands for, right?)

Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 23:02:43 EDT

cramer posted : Read Comcast's blog/FCC letter... Level3 asked for substantially greater bandwidth. Comcast came up with 6 additional (10G) ports, for free. Then they came up with an additional 20, but demanded a commercial interconnect contract for them ... but act quick before we sell those 20 ports to someone else. (if you had business in the pipeline, you wouldn't have had the other 6 available.)

Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 22:51:19 EDT

cramer posted :

said by GlennLouEarl:

Level 3 also requested up to a couple dozen additional ports from Comcast to support the [expected] additional traffic being delivered to Comcast by Level 3... and Comcast wants Level 3 to pay for it... repeat: Comcast wants Level 3 to pay for "network upgrades"...

It's not quite so simple. L3's CDN traffic is now going through the roof due to the volume of netflix streaming traffic. They will need additional capacity to get that stuff to the Comcast customers asking for it. Comcast gave them an additional 6 ports -- ports they say were unused. Comcast then comes up with 20 additional ports but is requiring L3 to buy those ports as a commercial interconnect. And tell L3 to "move quickly" before they sell those ports to someone else, which L3 reads as "take it or leave it" -- if they had spare ports to offer for free, they are bullshitting everyone insinuating these 20 will disappear overnight.

Comcast's own peering policy is a bunch of doublespeak. "Comcast Cable Communications Management, LLC, through its operating subsidiaries ("Comcast"), seeks to interconnect its IP network with other Internet backbone providers on a settlement-free basis when such interconnection provides tangible benefits to Comcast and its customers." Seems to me like peering with CDN sites falls squarely within that mission. However, "Applicant must maintain a traffic scale between its network and Comcast that enables a general balance of inbound versus outbound traffic." That's rather hard to do when Comcast's customers (15+ MILLION of them) have download rates 10-20x faster than their upload rates. Those are terms found in peering agreements between transit providers. Comcast is not a transit provider; they connect end-users, not other ISPs.

Everything I've read from Comcast, Level3, and many others comes across as Comcast being a monopoly, using their millions of customers as a hammer... "If you wanna reach *MY* customers (who, btw, have effectively no other choice of ISP -- *score*) you're going to pay me to get there."

Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 22:30:05 EDT

dfxmatt posted : espn did this to them, so it's just more of the same

Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 22:04:33 EDT

anon posted : Thank you, some one else who gets it.

This is nothing like other peering disputes because (1) one of the players is a transit customer of the other network, (2) that transit customer (Comcast) has very lopsided traffic ratios because they are an "eyeballs heavy" network and (3) it is Comcast's customers that are causing the traffic imbalance.

Comcast's customers request the video from Level3's CDN network, so clearly Comcast should be the one to pay those costs to get that data to their customers; if Comcast isn't being paid enough, they need to raise rates to cover the infrastructure costs. Level3 should not be paying Comcast to upgrade its network to meet the demands of Comcast subs.

Level3 should have told Comcast to pound sand, let the network go to crap and let Comcast have egg on its face.

Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 21:17:51 EDT

GlennLouEarl posted : It's not really about "trust". It's just that on the surface, knowing that there's no love lost between Cogent and Level 3, it's... interesting--for him to, more or less, "support" Level 3's stance. (However, it's not like anything said by Cogent or Comcast has any real value for me.)

Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 20:29:40 EDT

David posted :

said by GlennLouEarl:

When even the Cogent CEO says that "Comcast is wrong", then you can reasonably assume that however Comcast is portraying the issue is grossly inaccurate (aka lying). Of course, this wouldn't be the first time that misdirection confuses and confounds the FCC and Congress--that's what lobbyists are paid for after all. So... still not a peering dispute.

I am not sure I would trust the Cogent CEO as to his words. He really shouldn't be throwing stones while living in a glass house that has been properly "smashed" as least 4 times in the last decade. Here is the listing of Cogent peering disputes below in chronological order.

Most recent was October 2008 (just 2 years ago):
»Sprint, Cogent in Peering Feud [46] comments

Telia earlier that same year in may:
»Cogent Involved In Another Peering Dispute

Level3 in 2005!:
»Level 3 Issues Ultimatum

AOL in 2002:
»AOL, Cogent Peering Spat

I hate to say it for the Cogent CEO to be "commenting on it" and his company notorious for peering disputes makes him really look like an idiot. So if it was my advice I would say he probably needs to keep his stones to himself.

P.S. Another Hypothetical Small Thought- Had Netflix decided to connect with Cogent, the internet wouldn't have believed Cogent at all, only because they have such a rich history in peering problems. If Cogent had problems peering with comcast we would have all just thought it was another "notch" on Cogent's belt of peer problems!

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Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 20:27:17 EDT

anon posted :

said by fifty nine:

I am on the net op lists. It IS a peering dispute except for those who want the Government to clamp down on evil capitalist Comcast.

Then you must not read them very well. There are many posts that explain and show clear data supporting why it isn't a peering dispute AND don't advocate for government intervention; they may talk about how it might prompt government action or how it might become a hot button issue, but that isn't advocating, that's called foresight.

Believe whatever you want.

Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 17:31:06 EDT

GlennLouEarl posted : Now that I've thought about it a bit (a very little bit)--as far as Level 3 agreeing to pay any "fee" at all, I'd have to assume it might have happened something like this:

Level 3 asked for additional ports to connect to. Comcast said: OK, it'll cost this much. Level 3 assumed it would be a one-time charge ('cause, really, it's not all that unusual a circumstance for Party B to charge Party A for an upgrade/install done on behalf of Party A). Then Comcast comes along and says: Nuh-uh, this is an on-going fee (from now on into Xfinity and beyond). And that's when Level 3--justifiably--balked.

No... not a peering issue.

Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 15:45:27 EDT

GlennLouEarl posted : Actually, this is Comcast's customers hitting Level 3 with a [proposed] ton more traffic that they are creating/requesting from Netflix, and Comcast demanding that Level 3 pay for all of this [proposed] traffic that the Comcast customers will, supposedly, be generating. Level 3 has already upgraded their own network to support the [probable] additional traffic. Level 3 also requested up to a couple dozen additional ports from Comcast to support the [expected] additional traffic being delivered to Comcast by Level 3... and Comcast wants Level 3 to pay for it... repeat: Comcast wants Level 3 to pay for "network upgrades" (and not merely one-time but on a continuing basis--you'd think they view Level 3 the same way they do their own customers) to support traffic generated by Comcast customers that Level 3 is delivering to the Comcast network for those very customers.

Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 15:26:20 EDT

cramer posted : The interconnect was already there. The netflix deal means there will be substantially more traffic crossing the link. No one has said any equipment or link(s) were upgraded as a result. Likewise, nothing has been said to suggest it's costing either of them *anything*. (it's not like L3 and Comcast are connected through a mile of Time Warner (TWTC) fiber.)

I've setup private peers before. People seem to think either (or both) are paying thousands of dollars per second for the bits cross the link. They aren't. Only a fool would involve a 3rd party in a private peer link -- the whole point is to get that traffic on a link that doesn't cost you anything... it rides your infrastructure right up to theirs.

Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 15:10:52 EDT

cramer posted : Netflix outsources their content delivery because it's easier (and often cheaper) than running a massive global network. Yes, they *should* want netflix to peer with them, however, as I've said before, the ISPs don't see netflix as a value-add to their customers; instead, they see their customers as bait. And since their customers have no other ISP(s) to turn to, they know no one will be jumping ship because of it. (if there were real competition in the market, this sort of shit would cost them customers.)

Look at it like picking a colo facility based on how well it's connected.

Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 14:28:44 EDT

FFH5 posted :

said by GlennLouEarl:

»online.wsj.com/article/B ··· 971.html (I'll assume you're already registered)

Got it. Thanks.

Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 13:56:56 EDT

GlennLouEarl posted : »online.wsj.com/article/B ··· 971.html (I'll assume you're already registered)

Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 13:43:48 EDT

FFH5 posted :

said by GlennLouEarl:

Really? That's how I came across it--Google News: Wall Street Journal, yesterday.

Then how about a link.

Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 13:41:46 EDT

GlennLouEarl posted : Really? That's how I came across it--Google News: Wall Street Journal, yesterday.

Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 12:58:08 EDT

FFH5 posted :

said by GlennLouEarl:

And when did he say that? A google search shows no such comment being made.

Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 11:36:20 EDT

GlennLouEarl posted : When even the Cogent CEO says that "Comcast is wrong", then you can reasonably assume that however Comcast is portraying the issue is grossly inaccurate (aka lying). Of course, this wouldn't be the first time that misdirection confuses and confounds the FCC and Congress--that's what lobbyists are paid for after all. So... still not a peering dispute.

Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 10:49:34 EDT

Skippy25 posted : They are "PUSHING MORE data onto Comcast" or more data is just simply being delivered to user's on Comcast network because they are requesting it? This is a very important distinction here.

If Comcast is not a peering network as well (are they or aren't they?), then of course they are going to receive more traffic then they send because a vast majority of their consumers have a 10:1 15:2 or maybe even a 5:1 receive to send ratio and they are the ones requesting the data. It is not like L3 has no where to go with it so they just shove it on Comcast network.

If the above is true then Comcast is in essence asking L3 to pay them more money to deliver the content that Comcast's own customers are asking to receive. Do you know what FedEx or UPS would say to any company that came to them and said You know what, we receive a lot more packages from you then we send so you need to start paying us $X? I am guessing they will laugh and tell that company to find another service provider.

Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 10:14:50 EDT

amarryat posted :

said by fifty nine:

There is a lot of contradiction and people are essentially using this issue to push their own agenda, including and especially Government control and heavy handed regulation of the internet as well as using this as a means to question the Comcast/NBC merger.

Believe me, I want as little government control as possible.

Comcast is a monopoly though (in many areas), and they spend tons of money on lobbyists to promote their agenda. How might this entire controversy change if quality competition were to encroach on their monopolies? Where I am there is a choice, but in most areas there is not.

Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 09:30:29 EDT

fifty nine posted : There is a lot of contradiction and people are essentially using this issue to push their own agenda, including and especially Government control and heavy handed regulation of the internet as well as using this as a means to question the Comcast/NBC merger.

Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 09:28:42 EDT

fifty nine posted :

said by ClueBy4 :

said by fifty nine:

Wrong. Yes comcast pays for interconnection but any "on network" traffic is on a settlement free basis. This means that comcast and L3 don't pay for any of their traffic terminated on each others networks as long as the ratio doesn't exceed 2:1. This is an industry standard practice and is exactly what peering is.

I urge you to read comcasts letter to the FCC.

I have read it. The letter provides only part of the story. I urge you to do your homework and drop by some of the net ops lists where this has been discussed.

Again, this is not a "peering dispute". It is more complicated than that.

I am on the net op lists. It IS a peering dispute except for those who want the Government to clamp down on evil capitalist Comcast.

Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 08:53:39 EDT

fifty nine posted :

said by amarryat:

said by fifty nine:

It was never intended to be 1:1 equal. 2:1 is agreed upon as equal.

Even 2:1 would never be "equal" when you are streaming video. Maybe browsing websites and sending emails, or even downloading iTunes music.

2:1 is still the industry standard and Comcast stated that they previously had no problem with 2:1. The problem is now that the ratio is going to be pushed up to 5:1 with the new Netflix CDN agreement.

Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 08:52:16 EDT

fifty nine posted :

said by cramer:

L3 is (or was) doing that. Comcast is now demanding L3 pay them for the priviledge of connecting to their network -- you know, routers and linecards cost money, etc. This is Comcast (or any other cable company) being their usual uber-greedy selves.

Absolutely not.

This is Level 3 saying that we're going to hit you with a ton more of traffic, and we want to interconnect with you and have YOU pay for it.

Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 07:45:32 EDT

amarryat posted :

said by fifty nine:

I do not work for comcast. Far from it in fact. But my daily job does involve working with and therefore knowing how CDNs work. As such I have a good idea as to what this issue is about.

You may, but reading the posts on here, I can see there is quite a bit of contradiction, including the story before the posts. It sounds like people (including you) have taken sides and will believe what they want to believe. I haven't been a Comcast customer for a few years, and therefore this doesn't affect me (yet).

Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 04:23:55 EDT

kpfx posted : Good point....

But it begs the question... why does Netflix pay L3 all this money to get a connection to the ISPs, and L3 in turn expect to get their connections to the ISPs for free?

In other-words, the providers like Comcast, AT&T, Time Warner, etc could (and in my mind should) sell Netflix an interconnect directly for a fraction of the cost and cut out the middle-man.

Why even involve Level 3? Other than the "cloud distribution" marketing buzzwords they throw around what are they doing that my ISP couldn't do directly?

Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 00:13:11 EDT

dvd536 posted :

said by fifty nine:

said by amarryat:

Perception is reality though, and customers don't care about the actual physical topology of a network. The perception is that Netflix/L3 sit on one end, Comcast is in the middle, and they are at the other end.

Nothing is going to change for the end user.

Except their bills when comcast passes the toll on to the subs.
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Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 21:01:38 EDT

cramer posted : Actually, you have it backwards... you'd setup the connections first ("settlement-free peering") and then add netflix as a customer. Suddenly, the ISPs would have leverage. Unfortunately, the ISPs, being near-monopolies, don't see it as "their customers wanting access to your data" -- i.e. *you* are a value-add to their customers; they see it as a business imperative to make you pay to gain access to their customers -- without the threat of competing ISPs, they have no reason to want to improve any service(s) (esp. to a video site erroding their cable TV business.) It doesn't help that the public doesn't understand how any of the internet works... when their netflix experience sucks, they blame netflix and not their ISP.

The days when ISPs cared about their customers is long, long past. They only go as far as necessary to get us to write the check. As we have very little choice, and they suck more-or-less equally, we put up with it. When there's even a hint of an alternative (*cough*municiple broadband*cough*) they shit solid gold kittens and are willing to spend millions to make sure it doesn't happen.

[The whole point of the private peering is having zero recurring costs. You wouldn't buy a circuit from Verizon Business (aka UUNET) to connect your network to theirs -- you'd connect where ever your two networks cross.]

Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 20:28:17 EDT

anon posted :

said by fifty nine:

Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 20:13:13 EDT

WernerSchutz posted :

said by hottboiinnc4:

always do on here. You can't support the MSOs on here. Especially with it's a Net. Neturo issue.

Yeah, it gets all the cable shills pissed off when hearing the truth about monopolies, greed and price hikes.

Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 20:11:46 EDT

fifty nine posted :

said by ClueBy4 :

said by hottboiinnc4:

This is a PEERING issue and nothing more. L3 does this all the time. This time though- the shoe is on the other foot and not on L3s. L3 needs to PAY up.

This isn't a "peering issue" because Comcast doesn't have peering agreements with Level3. Comcast is a transit CUSTOMER of Level3.

Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 20:07:43 EDT

fifty nine posted : I do not work for comcast. Far from it in fact. But my daily job does involve working with and therefore knowing how CDNs work. As such I have a good idea as to what this issue is about.

Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 20:00:20 EDT

fifty nine posted : Netflix is switching away from Akamai. This is one of the things that brought about this whole mess.

Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 19:21:50 EDT

kpfx posted : Yep! Even better....

Why don't I set up a business right next to Netflix's data center. I'll call myself Level-4 and offer to transport their stuff to the inter-tubes for only $500,000 a month, a fraction of what L3 and Limelight charge. I'll even string my own fibers to their buildings and mow their lawn every other weekend.

Once I'm sitting on all this Netflix data goodness I'm going to demand a free connection to AT&T, Verizon, Comcast, and everybody else because... well darn, that's what their customers want!

It's the perfect business plan!

Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 18:38:34 EDT

cramer posted : Actually, telco's are worse -- they've been at it longer. Level 3 isn't technically a TELephone COmpany. (they don't sell phone service or "last mile" connectivity -- 'tho there are some office complexes and industrial parks where you can you can tie into L3 directly, thanks to the property owner/developer.)

Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 18:07:48 EDT

hottboiinnc4 posted : always do on here. You can't support the MSOs on here. Especially with it's a Net. Neturo issue.

Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 18:06:24 EDT

hottboiinnc4 posted : and the Telco's are different how?

Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 18:03:34 EDT

hottboiinnc4 posted : so does ATDN and HBO, etc.

Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 18:02:36 EDT

hottboiinnc4 posted : Hulu is an indie company owned by the Content owners.

Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 17:33:58 EDT

cramer posted :

said by kpfx:

It would actually need to be Netflix, not Level-3 to offer this and I don't think companies like Comcast or Verizon would object to that arrangement...

This is exactly what Comcast is *already* complaining about. Comcast wants L3 (CDN) to pay them to connect and deliver traffic to their customers.

If Netflix directly went to Comcast, Verizon, etc., they would have to *pay* for that connection just like any other random business. (esp. when they are a *competitor*.) The fact that Comcast's customers want access to Netflix gives Comcast a great deal of leverage.

Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 17:26:59 EDT

cramer posted : L3 is (or was) doing that. Comcast is now demanding L3 pay them for the priviledge of connecting to their network -- you know, routers and linecards cost money, etc. This is Comcast (or any other cable company) being their usual uber-greedy selves.

Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 17:08:21 EDT

amungus posted : Thank you ClueBy4. Kind of tired of seeing this "peering" term thrown around as gospel.

Re: Is Level3 different than any other website?

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 16:15:09 EDT

backness posted : as if you want the extra buck to go to comcast! What exactly have they done here except create a cost structure that they can't afford.