1. Net Neutrality

2. How the Internet Works in the Background
Intelligence at the Edges vs. in the Middle
End-user computers connected by links
The routers in the middle forward packets with only minor processing
all the heavy lifting takes place on the transmitting and receiving computers.
This approach of putting intelligence at the edge of the network is known as the end-to-end principle, and it is one of the keys to the Internet’s success thus far.

3. Buffering
When packets arrive at a link/router/gateway, the router has to decide where it will be forwarded to
If that link is available, it send it on its merry way
If that link is busy, the packet has to wait in line to be sent – “buffered” - until the link is free / it is that packet’s turn
If the router’s memory becomes full of packets waiting it’s turn, and new packets keep coming in, what happens to the ones waiting and the ones that are coming in – something has to give – what will it be?
It is this waiting and the priority of packets that are at the heart of the net neutrality issue

4. Minimal vs. Non-minimal Discrimination
It is this forced choice of what to discard, how to choose what will be discarded
Ways:
Keep the older and not the newer
Keep the newer and drop the older
Prioritize
High & low
then drop the low only when necessary – Minimal Discrimination
Assign so much to the low priority, say 20% of the travel can only by the low priority, the other 80% the high priority. If the low has more than 20% travelling, start dropping those to keep the high priority flowing fast – Non-Minimal Discrimination
This does not actually increase the speed of the high priority

5. Delay Discrimination
Reorder the packets, so instead of first-come first-served, the router chooses which packet to start sending first when there is a queue
Web browsing, watching – streaming - tv/videos vs gaming or Vonage/Skype

6. Detecting Discrimination
When the network performance lags, jitter problems arise – but who is at fault?
TelCo?
The network?
Policies?
If you could pinpoint the fault, do you want regulations in place to handle this?

7. Back to end-to-end principle
Once the end user has realized that its packets have been dropped, it will resend but at a slower rate
In fact, the system relies on this to happen; once enough packets are dropped and the end users have slowed the rate of sending, the congestion will clear up
But this is only a protocol, what if one was to ignore this?
Result = more network resources

8. Fairness vs Signaling out
Everybody’s turn at one time or another
Certain things get singled out and dropped, while others do not and keep on their merry way

9. Way to deal with discrimination
VPN – encryption
Send the encrypted packet to a gateway computer that was outside the ISP’s network
Game of chicken

10. QoS – Quality of Service
One of the standard arguments against network neutrality rules is that network providers need to provide Quality of Service (QoS) guarantees to certain kinds of traffic, such as video or VoIP
performance that is smooth and predictable
When is it needed and when is it not
Web browsing
Prerecorded video (buffering)
If the app needs more that the average speed that the network has – QoS won’t help

11. History John D. Rockefeller - Standard Oil
Deal with the train companies
Guaranteed so many barrels per day, in return, Rockefeller would get a credit for the “other companies” (his competitors) barrels traveling on the train
End result – kerosene available to the working & middle classes

12. Fast Lanes
Individual companies run dedicated servers inside the ISPs that are a vital part of the infrastructure
by getting inside the ISPs, the big web companies can significantly cut back on the delay
Google Edge
expanded its online operation to a network of private data centers across the globe, the web giant also set up routers inside many of the same data centers used by big-name ISPs so that traffic could move more directly from Google’s data centers to web surfers – peering
CDN: Content Delivery Network
The real issue is that the Comcasts and Verizons are becoming too big and too powerful. Because every web company has no choice but to go through these ISPs, the Comcasts and the Verizons may eventually have too much freedom to decide how much companies must pay for fast speeds.

13. Common Carriers June 12, 2015 Regulations Legal Battle
FCC classified ISPs as common carriers
Regulations
Legal Battle

14. ISPs
The problem today isn’t the fast lanes. The problem is whether the ISPs will grow so large that they have undue control over the market for fast speeds—whether they can independently decide who gets access to what connection at what price. “The question is which kinds of fast lanes are problematic and which kinds are not,” says Marvin Ammori, a lawyer and net neutrality advocate.
ISPs are letting some of its routers overload with data. And amidst these bottlenecks, Comcast is exploring ways of selling its own CDN services that can help companies increase delivery speeds.
In essence what people are referring to as a shake down
Even if down-played the potential of unfair is there

15. Current Situations Comcast & Netflix
Comcast’s X1 interactive television box will offer Netflix, obviating the need for a smart TV or third-party device like a Roku or Chromecast
Fee for Netflix?
Data plan for Netflix? Comcast stated that is will be part of the television – not the data plan

16. Zero Rating
the Federal Communications Commission approved the Open Internet Order barring Internet service providers from playing favorites. Comcast can’t deliberately block access to particular streaming services and favor its own—or those of a partner. But nothing stops Comcast and others from adopting data limits and charging you when you exceed them. Nor does anything stop it from exempting some data from that limit, a called zero rating.
also called toll-free data or sponsored data) is the practice of mobile network operators (MNO), mobile virtual network operators (MVNO), and Internet service providers (ISP) not to charge end customers for data used by specific applications or internet services through their network, in limited or metered data plans

17. Internationally
TRAI – backed net neutrality against Facebook’s Free Basics
basics-in-india/
internationally-as-it-is-here/

18. Blurred Lines Stream TV: Comcast’s streaming video service
Sling TV: Dish’s tv service on the Internet
Music Freedom & Binge On: T-Mobile