Netflix streaming speeds on Comcast jump 65 percent after controversial deal

[G+_Kevin Spitzer (JaguarXT]

http://www.theverge.com/2014/4/14/5613280/netflix-streaming-speeds-on-comcast-65-percent-faster

[G+_Greg Lewis]

This seems to prove the point that Comcast was throttling Netflix. Goodbye net neutrality.

[G+_Eng. Jorge Santana]

Horrible but I have to say I want AT&T to also do it so I get better quality stream...

[G+_Ander Ameztoy]

Greg Lewis Just as much as it proves Netflix was boycotting Comcast...

 

Netflix is paying Comcast for directly plugging into their network, so the users have faster transfers. Until now, you'd have a few more hops for the packets to travel, just like every other website. If someone wanted to plug into Comcast they get charged. There is nothing wrong with this deal, and it has nothing to do with net neutrality. It's not so Netflix is not slowed down by Comcast, it's so Netflix is faster and more reliable.

 

Until now Netflix used Cogent as their internet provider. Cogent had a peering arrangement with Comcast and then picked up Netflix and it exploded. Normally ISP's that share an equal amount of data between each other don't charge each other but when the traffic loads are not symmetric, the provider with the heavier load typically pays the other for transit. Cogent has refused to renegotiate so Comcast and other ISP's have refused to upgrade their connections and they have been  working on the bandwith allocation that they had agreed upon years ago but since now Netflix traffic is about 1/3 of all traffic it is a huge bottleneck

 

Whereas before they paid Cogent to carry their traffic and Cogent would deliver it to Comcast, now Netflix will pay Comcast to carry their traffic directly.