UK incumbent BT has denied claims that it is paving the way for a two tier internet with a new content prioritisation service called Content Connect.
The service, which allows content providers to pay ISPs to store data on servers that are located closer…
UK incumbent BT has denied claims that it is paving the way for a two tier internet with a new content prioritisation service called Content Connect.
The service, which allows content providers to pay ISPs to store data on servers that are located closer to the user, has come under fire from some industry observers as an attack on net neutrality.
However, a spokesman for the incumbent argued: “Contrary to recent reports in the media, BT’s Content Connect service will not create a two tier internet, but will simply offer service providers the option of differentiating their broadband offering through enhanced content delivery.
“To improve the quality of video content consumed by customers, service providers can either opt for BT’s new content distribution network, or can choose to improve the quality of the viewing experience by offering faster download speeds.”
According to BT, providers should be free to secure commercial deals to allow content owners a higher quality or assured service delivery.
Jim Killock, executive director of the Open Rights Group (ORG), a non-profit company, warned against allowing ISPs to effectively compete with the internet for content delivery.
“Whether films, music or gaming services, the idea is that ISPs will deliver content better and more reliably than the Internet,” Killock wrote on the ORG website.
“That says a lot about the state of investment in our internet. The result could be a fundamental shift away from buying services from the internet to bundled services from ISPs: which would reduce competition and take investment away from internet companies. That would be bad for everyone.”
This view was sharply dismissed by Andrew Heaney, director of regulation and strategy at ISP TalkTalk, who told TelecomFinance that BT’s Content Connect was an example of “exploring new ways of delivering a better experience and quality” to both content provider and user.
“Given in the UK we have a competitive marketplace, any sharp or bad practices will be discouraged so the doomsday scenario painted by the ORG is simply unrealistic,” said Heaney.
“It’s right that regulators should keep an eye on what’s happening but at this point they should not step in to prevent this important innovation.”
BT’s Content Connect appears to be following a lead laid out on 17 November by UK communications minister Ed Vaizey, who said ISPs should be allowed to have flexible business models to support competition.
Vaizey’s comments were quickly seized upon by net neutrality advocates such as VoIP provider Skype, which has called for the principals of an open internet to be enshrined in law.
