Google Tools To Detect Throttling By ISP’s
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There seems to be several differences of opinion when it comes to Google’s new tools that they are developing to detect ISP throttling. The basic arguments seems to be if Comcast, or any other ISP, has the right to throttle back speed on what they perceive are broadband hogs. There has also been some discussion about tiered pricing by AT&T as well.
First we have Google’s stance:
Google has been very vocal on its stance for net neutrality. Now, Richard Whitt–Senior Policy Director for Google–announces that Google will take an even more active role in the debate by arming consumers with the tools to determine first-hand if their broadband connections are being monkeyed with by their ISPs:
“We’re trying to develop tools, software tools…that allow people to detect what’s happening with their broadband connections, so they can let [ISPs] know that they’re not happy with what they’re getting — that they think certain services are being tampered with,” Google senior policy director Richard Whitt said this morning during a panel discussion at Santa Clara University, an hour south of San Francisco.
But on the flip side we have what George OU stated during the conference and his feelings:
Ou is adamant that - whether it (Net Neutrality rules) forbids ISPs from prioritizing apps and services or it forbids them from selling prioritization - neutrality regulation would actually prevent things like video and voice from flourishing on our worldwide IP network. “If you forbid prioritization, you forbid converged networks,” he said. “And if you forbid converged networks, you get a bunch of tiny networks that are designed to do very specific things. Why not merge them into one fat pipe and let the consumer pick and choose what they want to run?
So what will this mean to you and me? It depends on who you believe. I personally believe that if the ISP’s are allowed to throttle back we could end up with a system of tiering, that may be unfair for those who just want to watch a video occasionally. A system of higher pricing just to view on the Internet, what we currently are able to see at a flat rate price.
But what is your take? Am I missing something here?
Share your comments.
3 Comments
Ryan
June 17th, 2008
at 7:53pm
Yes, but to do some good, it would have to assume that the phone and cable companies actually have anyone competing with them, and in most areas they certainly don’t, so you can love them no matter how bad they screw you over, or you can just stop using the internet.
AT&T and Comcast know this, they know they can afford to hire people to pack the seats if the government has a meeting about it (Google that!), and they know nobody will stop them.
Reminds me of that joke page about letters to President Bush from small children, went something like:
“Dear President Bush,
My name is Johnny and I’m 8 years old, please find 50 cents enclosed, I am a lobbyist and I just bought you.
Now regarding bedtime, I don’t like bedtime, I want you to make a law against it.
PS: There’s another 50 cents in it for you if you do it by 8 PM”
Google Tools To Detect Throttling By ISP’s · Buwin Technology
June 17th, 2008
at 7:57pm
[...] News - Hardware - ZDNet Australia wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerpt [...]
the oracle
June 17th, 2008
at 8:20pm
I question the ability of the tools. In science, observing something and getting valid data involves being outside the thing being observed. I am trying to get my mind around the concept of knowing how throttling is occurring while being inside the system. The only thing I can think of is that the method used for throttling would need to have some sort of mechanism easily observed from within - like the reset packets used to deter torrents - I know of no way to do this with other protocols that would not be easily observable WITHOUT any specialized tools.