NNSquad - Network Neutrality Squad
[ NNSquad ] Re: Google response to WSJ 12/15/08 "Fast Track on the Web" story
On Sun, 14 Dec 2008, George Ou <george_ou@lanarchitect.net> wrote:
Now you know why every Net Neutrality bill ever proposed all specifically target broadband and they don't apply to the type of non-neutral advantages that large dotcom companies can buy.
There is, of course, nothing non-neutral about using cache.
Content caching [usually in the form of Content Delivery Networks (CDN)] is ultimate fast track mechanism for content distribution. Content caching is the only model that supports on-demand high quality video, not P2P or network prioritization. Content caching shows why the Internet never has and never will be equal. The Internet is only equal to those who can buy the same infrastructure but it's never been equal to everyone at any price. Richard Bennett also debunks this myth that everything has to be equal here http://bennett.com/blog/2008/12/google-gambles-in-casablanca/.
I respond only to the specific claim that only large rich organizations, such as Google, can use caching to deliver on-demand high quality video to my house. The implicit incorrect argument is that only Google can pay for special farms of storage devices, near to very high speed channels, which special farms, specially situated, are required for on-demand high quality video to my house. But, as I and others have pointed out, the storage can be in my house, and playback of the video can begin using the cached start of the movie. Indeed Netflix does this today on a large scale.
And, please forgive this repetition, Google has a lot of storage and a lot of processing power. The storage devices and the computing devices are owned by Google and help deliver Google products quickly. I own a few computers and they help me receive and deliver data to and from my house. Google and I own our devices, and we stand as peers on the Net. There is no violation of common carriage in my owning several computers and Google's owning millions of devices, and both I and Google using the Net. Note we both pay for our Net connections.
To repeat yet again: I agree that Google owns more devices than I do, and that Google likely makes more money by its use of its devices. But what has that got to do with Network Neutrality?
The Wall Street Journal situates its printing presses near newstands which sell the paper. Trucks deliver the papers to the newstands over public roads. This arrangement is not a violation of Road Neutrality^W^WFreedom of the Roads.
oo--JS.