Bell Canada’s ‘5% of users’ claim trashed
p2pnet news | Freedom:- According to Danny McPherson, CTO of Arbor Networks, who “makes all sorts of network-management and traffic-shaping tools”, used by over 70% of the ISPs around the world:
- 20% of traffic comes from P2P applications
- During peak-load times, 70% of subscribers use http.
- Â Only 20% are using P2P
- Http still makes up most of the total traffic, of which 45% is traditional web content including text and images.
- Streaming video and audio content from services such as YouTube account for nearly 50% of the http traffic.
- Streaming content such as TV shows and YouTube is on the rise.
This clearly shows the “bandwidth hogs” are, in fact, ordinary, average http users during peak time, and NOT Bell’s fictitious 5% of “heavy” P2P users” who suck up around 50% of the total available bandwidth.
Bell also tries to say only 5% of surfers use P2P or even know what P2P is.
These data do not support the claims made by Bell, which admits its data were collected in April over a year ago —- and in another country.
So in effect, what Bell has done is to pick a protocol and application they decided were expendable, with no supporting current evidence or data on their network, also unilaterally deciding for their wholesale customers (who are also their competition) what applications they’ll block.
This should be a warning for everyone to wake up to the fact Bell is throttling anything and everything it pleases, and since streaming video (YouTube and TV shows) is high on the list, this will surely be next on their list of items to be throttled.
Since it’s now obvious that, contrary to Bell’s claims, P2P isn’t the real target (since its not really that heavy on the network during peak time), what’s the real reason for the company to install and apply technology able to open and inspect packets? (And, by the way, it can also retain logs.)
Is it to delay upgrades?
Is it to peak into people’s private packets?
Is it to gather data on users and the users of the competition?
Is it because P2P is now mainstream (20% of the users, not 5% as proclaimed by Bell) and growing by 100% yearly?
Is it a way for Bell to lower their peak-time bandwidth costs and at the same time prevent its own users from jumping ship to the competition?
But hey! Don’t take my word for it; take Arbor Networks, the maker of the throttling machines Bell could be using!
Meanwhile, check out CAIP’s second submission to the CRTC.
References:
http://gigaom.com/2008/04/22/shocking-new-facts-about-p2p-and-broadband-usage/
http://communities.canada.com/montrealgazette/blogs/tech/archive/2008/04/23/video-not-p2p-is-the-real-bandwidth-hog-om-malik.aspx
[Ottawa Gal is a long-time p2pnet reader and comment poster who'd rather remain anonymous. She says she works in the University, likes her cat, reality TV, and Doctor McDreamy. Her favourite web sites are the Michael Geist blog and p2pnet.net. "Privacy on the net is also important to me," she says. "I need a tinfoil hat 
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April 25th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
I have another hypothesis. Bell is in bed with the parasites from the majors music and movie companies and this is a conspiracy from this entertainement cartel.
There is a big huge problem though for the crappy ISP such as Bell and Comcast: Did you hear about WIFI p2p network that work without internet and is ready to catch up? That will hurt if it does.
I Just noticed that’s all. I am not working for them so. . .
April 25th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
All ISPs use the same excuse that a small minority use p2p services and that those users ruin the experience for everyone else. This they think, gives them a mandate to restrict users, protocols, and times at which activities can be performed. These claims are specious and without substance, and they know it. Their unwillingness to invest in infrastructure is the source of this feigning; instead they wish to maintain the status quo, which evidently is doomed to failure as the internet advances.
AVDITE VERBA EA ET BENE OBSERVATE . MVNDI SEMPER PROTINVS MOVET.
April 25th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
In the CAIP filing it states:
“The DPI equipment that Bell uses to throttle its competitors’ traffic is manufactured by Ellacoya which was recently acquired by Arbor Networks.”
So Bell IS using them and pulling numbers out of a hat!
April 25th, 2008 at 6:45 pm
Bell is looking to make more money for the same servcies. I have maintained my band with usages the last year and i have noticed that Bell’s new throttling limit plan will costme double over last year.. wow. So the greedy hogs refers to Bell firstly still
April 27th, 2008 at 3:01 am
So, Bell is just making up crap to justify their actions, which were most likely prompted by the urging of music/movie corporations to end p2p traffic.
Glad as hell I don’t have them for an ISP.