NNSquad - Network Neutrality Squad
[ NNSquad ] Re: Request for input on the definition of Broadband
----- Forwarded message from Dave Farber <dave@farber.net> ----- Date: Wed, 2 Sep 2009 12:48:54 -0400 From: Dave Farber <dave@farber.net> Subject: [IP] Re: Request for input on the definition of Broadband Reply-To: dave@farber.net To: ip <ip@v2.listbox.com> Begin forwarded message: > From: "David P. Reed" <dpreed@reed.com> > Date: September 2, 2009 11:46:39 EDT > To: dave@farber.net > Cc: ip <ip@v2.listbox.com>, Stagg Newman <lsnewmanjr@yahoo.com>, Rob > Curtis <robert.curtis@fcc.gov>, Tom Brown <thomas.brown@fcc.gov> > Subject: Re: [IP] Re: Request for input on the definition of Broadband > > Here is a concise, precise, and I believe complete, definition that > can serve as a good starting point. Readers may note that it is a > definition that has served the Internet well. It is 3 sentences long. > > Broadband is a low-latency and high-datarate access service that > provides ability to send and receive IP datagrams to hosts on the > worldwide public Internet, as defined by the full address space defined > by the IP versions currently used. The broadband transport may use > only the information placed into the IP header/envelope to manage > delivery, does not use, record, or retain content information for any > purpose other than law enforcement purposes. The public internet is > defined as the reachable set of hosts on all autonomous systems that > have agreed to exchange Internet traffic with one or more peer > autonomous systems in the public Internet. > > Comments: this preserves technological evolvability, since it says > nothing about the technology underlying the transport, nor does it say > anything about the applications served. > > > On 09/02/2009 04:55 AM, David Farber wrote: >> >> >> >> Begin forwarded message: >> >> From: Mary Shaw <mary.shaw@gmail.com> >> Date: September 1, 2009 6:01:00 PM EDT >> To: dave@farber.net >> Subject: Re: [IP] Request for input on the definition of Broadband >> >> Dave, >> >> Yes, surely "broadband" should be parsed out into bandwidth, latency, >> availability, and so on. >> >> More significantly, though, a useful definition will not be stated in >> terms of specific values for those properties but rather will adapt >> with changing technology and expectations. >> >> I would suggest this intuition for an adaptable definition: that a >> "broadband" connection supports the vast majority of the currently >> popular information resources on the internet with satisfactory >> response time. That is, "currently popular" at the time the >> definition is invoked. As new applications emerge, they up the ante. >> >> For example, as people are induced to put their information into "the >> cloud", broadband service should make that indistinguishable from >> local storage, which means that fast uploads will be required as well >> as fast downloads. Any form of offsite storage suffices for this >> point -- I keep the master copies of my files on a university server, >> so I really notice even brief service interruptions, and I need >> symmetrical service rather than the common fast down/slow up service >> because I need fast uploads for things like intermediate file saves. >> >> Mary >> >> On Tue, Sep 1, 2009 at 11:07 AM, David Farber <dave@farber.net> >> wrote: >> The other day I had a conversation with a friend at the Federal >> Communications Commission. He asked an interesting question. When >> people talk about broadband they tend to talk about numbers bits per >> second except for. >> >> Something seems wrong with this approach. First it is very sensitive >> to the advancement of technology any number will be obsolete in a few >> years. Second of all, and maybe most important it ignores other issues >> that would make any speed usable in many applications -- -- like >> latency chair etc. He asked if there was a "syntax" for broadband -- >> -- that is a deeper way of characterizing when a system supports >> broadband and when it does not. >> >> I offer to the IP community a chance to take a crack at this >> interesting and potentially profitable challenge. >> >> Dave >> >> >> ------------------------------------------- >> Archives: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/247/=now >> RSS Feed: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/247/ >> Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com >> >> >> Archives > ------------------------------------------- Archives: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/247/=now RSS Feed: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/247/ Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com ----- End forwarded message -----