First post-net neutrality deal? Netflix to pay Comcast for preferential internet access

Streaming video service Netflix has agreed to pay Comcast, the largest internet service provider in the United States, for direct access to the ISP’s network. The arrangement — confirmed over the weekend first by the Wall Street Journal — will ensure that Netflix customers who rely on Comcast for their home internet service will have an easier time accessing content delivered through the streaming site.

Link to story on RT

You may ask why I put this topic in the conspiracy forum. Simple, I believe that ISP's have conspired with each other and the US Government to end neutrality for the sole purpose of profit. This is further proof to me that soon no business large or small will be able to compete with the other companies that are better funded. Simply put, this can put the little guy out of business. How? I get 100% of my business from the internet.

Currently my site has top placement on Google and I have done it organically (not paying anyone) I have done better than nearly all of my competitors in terms of placement. However due to my area not being as popular of a tourist destination as my competitors I do not currently make near as much money as they do. I manage to make a tidy living but I do not make millions a year. Meanwhile these competitors resent my presence and look at the 1000 clients I get a year (vs. their 7000) as money lost.

Much like what happened with Google Adwords; Well funded companies initially dominated the highest search returns. Soon I expect ISP's to offer the equivalent of AdWords in terms of delivery speeds of your content. It will go much like this when a small companies phone rings and it is Comcast Advertising.

Comcast: Hello is this the owner of Bob's Plumbing?
Bob: Yes, This is Bob.

Comcast: Hi Bob we are calling today to offer you an amazing opportunity. As I am sure you are aware people today have little patience for waiting for a website to appear after clicking on the link to it. Statistics show that you have less than six seconds to begin to deliver your sites content before they click on a competitors site instead.
Bob: What does this have to do with me?

Comcast: Well Bob, as I am sure you are aware the internet is a rapidly changing marketplace and due to new regulations we can now offer you the opportunity to have your content shown instantly.
Bob: When I click on my site now it comes up instantly. What can you possibly offer that will make it better?

Comcast: Well Bob, due to these regulatory changes should you choose to opt for our "Diamond Encrusted Platinum Delivery Plan" we can make certain that not only do you continue to come up instantly to those that click on your site, we can make certain that your competitors don't by throttling back the speed at which their content is delivered.
Bob: And how much will this cost?

Comcast: Well Bob, as I am sure you are aware a service like this is not inexpensive, However to be fair we have arraigned a bidding system much like Google AdWords did back in the 90's. You are the first person in your sector we have contacted so you have the opportunity to be an early bidder and lock in this service for the next year.
Bob: And how much will this cost?

Comcast: Well Bob, we can lock you in for the next year for only $50,000.
Bob: But I only make $70,000 a year now, How can I possibly afford that?

Comcast: Well Bob, what you should ask yourself is; how can you not afford it? Currently it looks like all of your business is coming from the internet, correct?
Bob: Umm yeah......

Comcast: Well Bob, Quite honestly this opportunity has a limited amount of time that it will be available as our sales departments will be calling others in your market to fill the slot should you not be interested. So Bob, will you be paying by Credit card or PayPal?


There i nothing good that is going to come out of this for anyone except those that are wealthy already.

Yet another way of pushing out the little guy so big business can get its greedy fat fingers in every corner of our lives and control even more where we spend our money .

This is the future of the web.

This is what we get when we allow mega corporations to bribe Congressmen

I dont know how our courts cannot rule that Comcast is a monopoly. In fact I am, sure right now they are a step above a monopoly. What do you call a power company that is above a monopoly?

reply to post by Mamatus


Can Comcast actually do that? Can they actually slow down another private business website? How is that not against the law?

American-philosopher
I dont know how our courts cannot rule that Comcast is a monopoly. In fact I am, sure right now they are a step above a monopoly. What do you call a power company that is above a monopoly?

The US government is what you call it

reply to post by Mamatus


Remember all those threads about the government shutting down internet???...., Now we see that was all BS.

reply to post by American-philosopher


Been missing the whole Net-neutrality downfall?


This is why it mattered.

ITs now legal.

Yay...

Currently the FCC is being called upon to treat the ISP's as Telecoms. This would mean neutrality for all across the platform. and everyone gets content delivered at the same speed.

Should they not move to reclassify, it is the end of a "fair" internet. What happened with Netflix is that the ISP's threatened to throttle down content from their servers should they not pay more. In effect making any streaming movies from the service not stream any longer. A competitive service can not get the same speeds to the consumer, hence removing any possible competition to Netflix over Comcast servers.

It is a really really bad thing for anyone that uses the internet to make a living.

reply to post by Mamatus


Pretty much Comcast strong armed or blackmailed Netflix with throttling until Netflix agreed to pay them off. The police usually label activities like this as protection rackets. Isn't it great that our government just granted corporations the right to behave like the mafia towards their competitive threats?

Thank you Netflix, for not having the balls to stand up and fight for the rest of us. I felt that possibly with Netflix on our side, we could have stood a chance. Now that they have buckled, who else will have enough money to sponsor campaigns, persaude lobbyists, or publish advertising to help regain what we have lost... the Internet we knew is on its way out the door..

And people thought that I was crazy for writing an article last week about this very topic. As a contributing factor towards the "battle of the ISP's," and it no longer being about the "console wars." I forsaw this one coming and already wrote my 2 cents on the tidbit. Now it is happeneing? NOOOO How can we prevent this from going any further? We need to instill that net neutrality rather quickly before this truly does become a picemeal.

American-philosopher
reply to post by Mamatus

 

Can Comcast actually do that? Can they actually slow down another private business website? How is that not against the law?

I take it you haven't followed the net neutrality debate?

Since the FCC overturned it, this became legal. Faster speeds for those who pay, slower speeds for those who don't.

As of last month what Comcast threatened to do (and eventually got paid for not doing) is 100% legal.

GiulXainx
And people thought that I was crazy for writing an article last week about this very topic. As a contributing factor towards the "battle of the ISP's," and it no longer being about the "console wars." I forsaw this one coming and already wrote my 2 cents on the tidbit. Now it is happeneing? NOOOO How can we prevent this from going any further? We need to instill that net neutrality rather quickly before this truly does become a picemeal.

If you don't mind going back to slow speeds you can go back to 56k and totally circumvent the backbone isp's. Anything faster requires paying them for access to the fiber network, that was originally built with our tax dollars in the first place.

The police usually label activities like this as protection rackets.

Yes, by definition that would be a protection racket.

I know little about the issues except that those of us with years of experience with Comcast know they are the worlds best at 'nickle and dimeing' the consumer to the point you want to stick your head in the oven.

Just wait until you get that first bill for 'Comcast Business Class Internet' and their definition of what is a business and what is not. In case you are wondering it is whatever they say it is.

Some school kids were selling cookies and candy for a school trip and that was a 'business' according to Comcast-get ready for that type of thinking.

reply to post by spooky24


Their goal is to turn the internet into cable TV. They want each individual website to pay for reasonable access speeds, and then they want each subscriber to pick and choose the websites they want. This is the legislation that will knock us from being a superpower, and then from being a first world nation. To the rest of the world that actually follows net neutrality the idea is preposterous.

Such legislation ensures that our tech/internet companies will no longer be competitive globally or even nationally.

Meshnets and independent 56k ISP's (since they don't need access to the backbone fiber) are the unfortunate future for us. Maybe even BBS's where only a few people can call in at a time.