Offering realistic broadband service definitions and acceptable-use policies

The bandwidth management issue wouldn't be so bad if service providers were transparent and truthful in their service offerings. In most cases, their marketing departments committed the original sin by launching fuzzy "service definitions" along the lines of promising "20 Mbps Amazingly Fast Internet Connections." The actual speed (beyond the local office) or user behavior expectations were never specified, apart from vague acceptable-use policies.

No wonder some users took the offer at face value, tried to use as much bandwidth as possible, and cried foul when service providers tried to renege on the deal with traffic management or transfer caps.

As a result of all of this, a number of technical issues plague the residential ISP market. Here are some examples:

• Users who don't conform to "expectations." The average usage of a typical residential user is a small percentage of the access speed. Service providers rely on this behavior and use high oversubscription ratios in their calculations, otherwise they could never achieve the financial break-even point with current low prices. A small percentage of "abnormal" users that saturate access links for prolonged periods, sometimes days or weeks, can adversely affect a large user population (more than on shared media systems like cable). The undesired behavior of "abnormal" users is often due to the usage of peer-to-peer applications but could also be a result of a popular Web server or file sharing server run by a residential user.
• Peer-to-peer applications. One of the fundamental design assumptions of the Internet is that each application session gets its fair share of bandwidth. The TCP protocol and existing queuing mechanisms in routers and switches are fine-tuned to achieving this goal, resulting in fair service delivery across a large user base, as long as each customer uses approximately the same number of TCP sessions. Peer-to-peer applications typically open a large number of constantly active TCP sessions, seizing a disproportionate amount of bandwidth for a long period of time.
• Video streaming affects other applications. Some video applications use TCP to download the content (YouTube or Netflix, for example). Others, particularly the streaming applications, use the User Datagram Protocol (UDP). Since UDP doesn't respond to congestion and packet loss as well as TCP, users receiving UDP video streams could squeeze out TCP users (Web browsing, email, etc.) in addition to using large amounts ...
  
  To continue reading for free, register below or login

  Requires Membership to View

  To gain access to this and all member only content, please provide the following information:

  Email Address:
  
  
  

  By joining SearchTelecom.com you agree to receive email updates from the TechTarget network of sites, including updates on new content, magazine or event notifications, new site launches and market research surveys. Please verify all information and selections above. You may unsubscribe at any time from one or more of the services you have selected by editing your profile or unsubscribing via email.
  
  TechTarget cares about your privacy. Read our Privacy Policy
  To read more you must become a member of SearchTelecom.com

  As an existing member of the TechTarget network please activate your SearchTelecom.com account 

  By joining SearchTelecom.com you agree to receive email updates from the TechTarget network of sites, including updates on new content, magazine or event notifications, new site launches and market research surveys. Please verify all information and selections above. You may unsubscribe at any time from one or more of the services you have selected by editing your profile or unsubscribing via email.
  
  TechTarget cares about your privacy. Read our Privacy Policy
  
  
  

  Digg This!     StumbleUpon     Del.icio.us

  
  
  
  

  RELATED CONTENT Telecom Network Management Outsourcing strategies for next-generation network operations Global Crossing re-engineers the telecom customer experience Network traffic management targets access and 'middle mile' aggregation infrastructure Carrier traffic management solutions for access, aggregation network Taking bandwidth management above-board Web-enabled TV looms, but can networks handle the Web on televisions? Procurement zones become telecom network infrastructure strategy Setting up procurement zones, network integration requirements Network integration outsourcers need network operations know-how Creating outsourced network operations plans during network integration Business Issues, ARPU and ROI Outsourcing strategies for next-generation network operations Can Juniper make intelligent telecom service architecture affordable? Global Crossing re-engineers the telecom customer experience Next generation architecture carries hefty price tag, but ARPU ebbs To deliver managed telecom service, telcos must consolidate businesses Taking bandwidth management above-board Alcatel-Lucent floats converged backbone concept to increase network value Procurement zones become telecom network infrastructure strategy Setting up procurement zones, network integration requirements Creating outsourced network operations plans during network integration Telecom Essentials Going over the top: Build telecom revenue with mobile social networking services Partnerships needed for building customer loyalty via mobile social networking Application stores will morph to handle integrated services delivery Network traffic management targets access and 'middle mile' aggregation infrastructure Carrier traffic management solutions for access, aggregation network Is the future of 4G LTE wireless networks in cloud computing? Taking bandwidth management above-board Alcatel-Lucent floats converged backbone concept to increase network value Three optical and IP network architectures enable converged backbone Procurement zones become telecom network infrastructure strategy

  RELATED GLOSSARY TERMS Terms from Whatis.com − the technology online dictionary backbone  (SearchTelecom.com) caller ID spoofing  (SearchTelecom.com) carrier signal  (SearchTelecom.com) comfort noise generator (CNG)  (SearchTelecom.com) Ethernet as a service (EaaS)  (SearchTelecom.com) Hayes command set  (SearchTelecom.com) multichassis multilink PPP  (SearchTelecom.com) multilink PPP  (SearchTelecom.com) telecommunications  (SearchTelecom.com) traffic engineering  (SearchTelecom.com)

  RELATED RESOURCES 2020software.com, trial software downloads for accounting software, ERP software, CRM software and business software systems Search Bitpipe.com for the latest white papers and business webcasts Whatis.com, the online computer dictionary

  
  
  of bandwidth for a long time.

• Undesired applications tend to be obfuscated and encrypted. The moment a noticeable percentage of users started to use bandwidth-hogging applications, service providers engaged in a lose-lose game of trying to identify the offending applications and slow or block them. The developers of these applications responded by obfuscating them (using random TCP or UDP port numbers or pretending to be Web requests) and encrypting the content to prevent packet inspection looking for application-specific signatures.

Next: Introducing rational bandwidth management policies

Rate this Tip To rate tips, you must be a member of SearchTelecom.com. Register now to start rating these tips. Log in if you are already a member. DISCLAIMER: Our Tips Exchange is a forum for you to share technical advice and expertise with your peers and to learn from other enterprise IT professionals. TechTarget provides the infrastructure to facilitate this sharing of information. However, we cannot guarantee the accuracy or validity of the material submitted. You agree that your use of the Ask The Expert services and your reliance on any questions, answers, information or other materials received through this Web site is at your own risk.