Injoke

Comcast: Slower Internet Is the Future

Comcast is well known for outrageously poor customer service, but seem to be taking steps to remedy the situation. One of their more successful and visible prongs of attack is the Comcastcares account on Twitter. Frank Eliason, the Comcast employee who is behind the account, is an extremely helpful and cheerful guy who gives a great deal of assistance to anyone who sends a message to his account.

Since approximately one month ago, when he is confronted with the complaints of subscribers over Comcast’s throttling of Bittorrent traffic, he has had some interesting things to say:

comcastcares: @TheAnalysis I am in Customer Service, but I do know we are working with BitTorrent, Inc to change network management by the end of the year

20 days ago · Reply · View Tweet · Show Conversation

comcastcares: @phillymac We are working with BitTorrent, Inc to change network management by the end of the year

20 days ago · Reply · View Tweet · Show Conversation

comcastcares: @merlik We are working with BitTorrent, Inc to change that by the end of the year

23 days ago · Reply · View Tweet · Show Conversation

comcastcares: @Skawtnyc Traffic shaping is all changing. We are working with BitTorrent Inc to change the method. This will happen this year

23 days ago · Reply · View Tweet · Show Conversation

comcastcares: @nshelby1 We are working to change how that is handled. We are working with BitTorrent, Inc

about 1 month ago · Reply · View Tweet · Show Conversation

comcastcares: @Kichigai The rational is a very small % of people use the largest bandwidth. We are working w/BItTorrent, Inc on a better handling

about 1 month ago · Reply · View Tweet · Show Conversation

comcastcares: @stejules We are working with BitTorrent, Inc to develop new strategies for traffic management. This will be introduced by the end of 2008

about 1 month ago · Reply · View Tweet · Show Conversation

There is a news article appearing today in the Philadelphia Inquirer reporting that Comcast is experimenting with a new form of managing their traffic in Chambersburg, PA and Warrenton, VA. Comcast is claiming that their new tactic will not target file sharing per se, but rather it will put the kabosh on their customers using the service which Comcast identifies as ‘Internet Hogs’

With the new method, Comcast said it would not target file-sharing, but would focus on individual heavy Internet users - no matter what they are doing.

The new Internet traffic method will put the online traffic of ordinary Internet users ahead of heavy users at certain times to maintain overall Internet speeds, Douglas said. Thus, the Internet experience for heavy users - so-called Internet hogs - could slow during periods of Internet congestion.

So, in context, is Bittorrent, Inc. colluding with Comcast–both working against their customers who, in my view, are simply taking Comcast at their word in providing unlimited bandwidth for a set price? I wonder if Comcast will fully disclose the fact that they will be reducing their customer’s level of access during these ‘periods of Internet congestion’.

When DSL was a strong competitor to Cable Internet, some 8 years ago, there was a concern that Cable simply did not have the necessary bandwidth required to handle a large subscriber base. This concern grew out of the fact that the cable network is not a true switchable system. Traffic along the network is not individually switched as phone service is switched. Instead, it is shared in large neighborhood groups. This concern was not really valid in the past, and has been mitigated by the ability of cable companies to increase service levels and compress signals.

Today however, with the increasing demand for video streaming, peer to peer networks and other applications that involve the transfer of large amounts of data, perhaps Comcast is approaching their limit. Comcast would be thrilled to provide service to casual web surfers using email and a minimum of bandwidth at $60 a pop each month, but that is not the way the wind is blowing on the Internet. Soon, everyone will be composing video replies, watching the latest from YouTube or streaming video from their Netflix accounts.

Luckily, there are competitors. Verizon has recently been installing FIOS in my neighborhood. Comcast provides my connection today, a 12Mbit/786Kbit connection for $70 per month. Once Verizon’s FIOS system is fully installed this year, they can provide a 15MBit/2Mbit level of service for about $60 per month. So, by early 2009, my choices will be $70 a month for crippled service or $60 a month for a direct switchable connection from a backbone provider. Oh, and with an upstream speed that is more than twice Comcast’s.

Comcast seems to be positioning itself as a second tier provider of service–Internet Lite–in much the same way America Online was forced to do during the switchover in the US to broadband service. The only thing missing is the annoying installation CDs in the mail. Comcast is picking up the slack with annoying advertising, though. Comcast, taking notice of Verizon’s installation crews in the neighborhood, placed door hangers about reminding us that they still provide service in our neighborhood, too. They didn’t provide any information about a sale price, only that Comcast used optic fiber (just not to your home) and that they have fast speeds (just not during peak times, you know–when you would be wanting to use those fast speeds).

Frankly, I think Comcast’s strategy of managing traffic is genius. If their goal is to reduce the traffic on their network from their 14 million subscribers by the end of the year, I think they are sure to reach it. Once their core customers realize they are paying significantly more for less connectivity, those subscribers are sure to move on to a more modern provider that can actually provide the service which they advertise. This should leave plenty of bandwidth for Comcast’s remaining subscribers to send all the email and browse all the AARP sites they want.

Oh, and Bittorrent, Inc.? Au reste, après vous, le déluge.