FCC examining reasons for Internet traffic jams

Source: AP-Excite

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Federal Communications Commission is setting out to unravel the mystery behind the Internet traffic jams bogging down the delivery of Netflix videos and other online content.

The inquiry announced Friday by FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler will dissect the routes that video and other data travel to reach Internet service providers such as Comcast and Verizon.

This crucial handoff of content has gained more attention in recent months as Netflix Inc. and other critics have accused the two Internet service providers of deliberately slowing incoming traffic from websites unwilling to pay for a less congested entry point.

Comcast and Verizon contend Netflix should bear some of the cost for handling the heavy traffic caused by its 36 million U.S subscribers watching video over high-speed Internet connections. At peak viewing hours, Netflix accounts for about one-third of the Internet traffic in the U.S., according to the research firm Sandvine.

FULL story at link.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20140613/us--internet_neutrality-b6e928dbd8.html

---

FILE - In this Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013, file photo, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Tom Wheeler testifies during a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, before the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The Federal Communications Commission is setting out to unravel the mystery behind the Internet traffic jams bogging down the delivery of Netflix videos and other online content. The inquiry announced Friday, June 13, 2014, by Wheeler will dissect the routes that video and other data travel to reach Internet service providers such as Comcast and Verizon. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)