Tiered Internet
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A Tiered Internet generally relates to a proposed new internet architecture that would allow telecommunications providers to divide traffic over their lines into different tiers. High speed tiers can be dedicated for websites with large broadband applications such as voice and streaming video.
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[edit] Current status
Currently, many telecommunications providers treat traffic served to end-users in a neutral fashion ("best effort"). That is, there is no discrimination on the part of the provider based on such factors as which website or location legitimate traffic originates from or which type of service the traffic is supporting. Lines and equipment are simply provided for use. Tiered access would allow control over how fast or slow content from different entities is delivered. In effect they could charge consumers higher fees to access certain sites quickly, give preferential treatment to their own media, or have other content providers pay them for faster access.
[edit] Two-tiered Internet
The most commonly proposed model has two tiers, one for preferred providers and one for the rest. In the new architecture, the service providers from whom the content originates would also pay the telecom companies for the service offered in contrast to the current situation where only consumers pay for the service. With this shift, the ISPs would offer many branded services (or applications) at additional service fees. These branded services then would receive preferential treatment on the ISP network. A potential implication of this is a drastic performance difference between ISP hosted revenue generating services and similar Internet hosted services.
Content providers like Google and Yahoo! have opposed this plan as they would be ending up paying the additional fees of telecommunication companies, while the potential exists that revenue generating innovations these companies produce would be assimilated into the service offering of ISPs over time and then offered in a way to disadvantage the Internet hosted services.
[edit] Lobbying
Telecommunications companies such as Bellsouth and AT&T have been lobbying for legislation that would ease the creation of tiered internet service in recent years. Supporters of the tiered internet scheme argue that such services will allow for quick and effective delivery of content. Other companies such as Yahoo and Google, oppose such laws, fearing that they will give telecoms too much power over internet content. Internet advocacy groups are also wary of tiered service, fearing such moves will have a detrimental effect on consumer choice and marginalize smaller content providers.
