[AusNOG] News: Telstra to clamp down on peer-to-peer

Tue Feb 5 22:47:07 EST 2013

Hi Skeeve,

I think your argument works even with unlimited providers. That is, if you are going to advertise an "unlimited" plan, then my view is you should support the unlimited plan. If not, then sell a 10TB plan (for example) and shape users beyond that.

It's that old chestnut of course, but who decides when you change from being "a normal user" and a "heavy user" if you have an unlimited plan. (Apologies for slight movement of pure peer to peer throttling discussion.)

Adam Gardner

________________________________
From: ausnog-bounces at lists.ausnog.net [ausnog-bounces at lists.ausnog.net] on behalf of Skeeve Stevens [skeeve+ausnog at eintellegonetworks.com]
Sent: Tuesday, 5 February 2013 6:54 PM
To: Jeffrey Sims
Cc: ausnog at lists.ausnog.net
Subject: Re: [AusNOG] News: Telstra to clamp down on peer-to-peer

Their position is just stupid.  Heavy downloaders? I am not even sure what that means with Telstra.

They have no unlimited plan.  I subscribe to the 500Gb plan.  If I download my full 500Gb, am I a heavy downloader? NO, I am someone who is using what I paid for.

Telstra need to wake up and realise they have no such thing as heavy downloaders, just people who are entitled to download what they've paid for.

TPG on the other hand... or anyone else with unlimited plans... then you'd have an argument.

...Skeeve

Skeeve Stevens - eintellego Networks Pty Ltd
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[X]

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On Tue, Feb 5, 2013 at 9:15 PM, Jeffrey Sims <jeffy at tehintartubes.net<mailto:jeffy at tehintartubes.net>> wrote:
Not to mention, P2P is used for file delivery for games like WoW, League of Legends etc.

So by stopping the downloaders, you're stopping the gamers too!

Telstra's big book of "101 ways to piss off its customer base (but really they have no choice but to be with Telstra until NBN comes out)"

On Tue, Feb 5, 2013 at 5:14 PM, Chris Ricks <chris.ricks at securepay.com.au<mailto:chris.ricks at securepay.com.au>> wrote:
They already do clamp down on peer-to-peer by counting uploads, surely?

On 05/02/13 16:59, Skeeve Stevens wrote:
>From the SMH @ http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/telstra-to-clamp-down-on-peertopeer-20130205-2dvus.html

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Telstra is planning to slow the speed at which its customers download content through peer-to-peer (P2P) networks<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peer-to-peer> in peak periods as part of a trial.

P2P networks are commonly used to download pirated material such as movies, music and video games.

Telstra confirmed the move in a statement after a source contacted Fairfax Media, publisher of this article, to say the telco planned to introduce throttling as a "trial" that was likely to become permanent and which required users to opt out if they didn't want to take part in it.

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The trial could begin as soon as this week, the source added.

The Telstra statement said it would be conducting a "limited trial of a range of technical options for better managing broadband internet performance for our customers during peak periods".

One option being looked at was the shaping of specific services, including some peer-to-peer services, in certain circumstances and at certain times. The telco could shape such services using deep packet inspection<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_packet_inspection> (DPI) technology, which can identify the types of network traffic flowing through a network and prioritise it accordingly.

"Once the trial is complete we will consider the results as part of our future network planning and product development activities," the company said.

"The trial does not involve any monitoring or tracking of the sites customers visit and the findings we gather, including their feedback, are being collected in accordance with our privacy statement," Telstra said.

Critics of ISPs that interfere with P2P say it has many uses that aren't illegal, such as downloading large files, and that it shouldn't be interfered with. But most acknowledge it is used for sharing copyright-protected material

Telstra's plan to shape peer-to-peer network traffic was first mooted by the industry publication RCR Wireless in May 2011, when Telstra executive director Michael Lawrey threatened in a speech<http://www.rcrwireless.com/unplugged/index.php/20110523/carriers/9137/telstra-proudly-declares-intent-to-cut-off-bandwidth-hogs/> in Dublin to cut off "downloaders of illegal content", whom he reportedly blamed for network congestion.

The RCR Wireless article no longer appears online but Mr Lawrey's quotes remain on the Australian technology news website iTnews, which repeated them<http://www.itnews.com.au/News/258515,telstra-aims-throttling-at-its-hungriest-customers.aspx>.

RCR Wireless quoted Mr Lawrey as saying Telstra would also take action against customers believed to be abusing the carrier's fair-use policies.

"We probably haven't even used our fair use small print yet. But we will," Mr Lawrey reportedly said.

He was also reported to have said that if the carrier's proposed system "cut out 80 per cent of the non-value adding traffic – good".

According to the RCR Wireless article, about 80 per cent of Telstra's data was chewed up by high bandwidth users.

"I'd rather not have those 80 per cent as customers. I'd rather someone else had them as customers," Mr Lawrey reportedly said.

He did not say whether he was talking about fixed-line, smartphone customers or both.

Exetel, a smaller ISP than Telstra, used to throttle<http://whirlpool.net.au/wiki/exetel_faq_prioritize>, or "deprioritise", peer-to-peer traffic during peak periods. Its terms and conditions say it can still do so but a staff member last year said on its forum that it did not shape<https://forum.exetel.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=284&t=39103> "any type of traffic".

Illegal downloading via BitTorrent networks has been in slight decline for some time<http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/game-of-thrones-crowned-king-of-downloads-20121224-2buay.html>, though reports suggest there was a small rise in 2012. In part that would be fuelled by faster internet services worldwide and a migration away from traditional television in which some consumers now exclusively watch TV content via the internet.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/telstra-to-clamp-down-on-peertopeer-20130205-2dvus.html#ixzz2K09ebWjy

---

...Skeeve

Skeeve Stevens - eintellego Networks Pty Ltd
skeeve at eintellegonetworks.com<mailto:skeeve at eintellegonetworks.com> ; www.eintellegonetworks.com<http://www.eintellegonetworks.com/>

Phone: 1300 239 038; Cell +61 (0)414 753 383<tel:%2B61%20%280%29414%20753%20383> ; skype://skeeve

facebook.com/eintellegonetworks<http://facebook.com/eintellegonetworks> ; linkedin.com/in/skeeve<http://linkedin.com/in/skeeve>

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