The Internet backbone consists of just over 6000 independent networks that exchange traffic in fashions that are not well understood outside of the backbone networking community. We explain how it works, how it has evolved and how it is continuing to evolve today.
This is a revised and annotated version of material most recently given as an invited presentation at OFC 2014, the optical fiber conference in San Francisco, in March 2014.
To provide higher resolution, I've also uploaded a version w/o annotations, i.e. just the graphics.
These are the graphics (in higher resolution) for my presentation, Internet Peering with annotations. See "Internet Peering, with annotations" for details.
Understanding Remote Peering - Connecting to the Core of the InternetWilliam Norton
Understanding Remote Peering – The New Wave of Interconnection at the Core of the Internet.
Using real-world case studies, this free webinar explains remote peering and what it means to ISPs, content providers and the global Internet peering ecosystem. Learn from William B. Norton who has presented three popular USTelecom webinars on Internet peering.
Background
The Internet peering ecosystem is going through a historic and rapid paradigm shift.
The largest ISPs and content providers have always interconnected their networks at the core of the Internet using a technique called "Internet peering," the free and reciprocal exchange of access to each other's customers. In this way, networks of scale can exchange a large enough amount of traffic for free with one another to offset the cost of deployment (equipment, colocation, and transport to the colocation center). This justification is the basis for the business case for peering.
However, a recent trend -- called "remote peering" -- has emerged as a way to get these peering benefits but without the cost of additional equipment, transport, or colocation. The remote peering model is where a remote peering provider delivers transport to the customer router with Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) extension(s) from the largest exchange points in the world. In this way, the customer gets all of the benefits of peering (performance, control over routing, direct relationships with the peer networks, etc.) without the large initial capital and operational costs.
This is not just a fringe or small change to peering - it is a fundamental shift in the Internet architecture. Remote peering is a new technique that helps make peering accessible to a much larger population. As a result of the cost shift, an increasing percentage of networks are peering across great distances. The peering paradigm of "peering keeps local traffic local" is no more.
During the free webinar you will hear case studies from the field where medium-sized content companies are able to enter the peering ecosystem and connect to multiple Internet Exchange Points over a single circuit. These companies have graciously allowed their cost numbers to be shared so the traditional peering model can be compared against the emerging remote peering model. Also, the webinar will highlight the strongest arguments on both sides of the debate over whether remote peering is good or bad for the global Internet peering ecosystem.
William B. Norton, Executive Director, DrPeering International and Author of the new 2014 Edition of “The Internet Peering Playbook: Connecting to the Core of the Internet” which includes a new chapter dedicated to remote peering.
PTC'14 Presentation by Steve Wilcox: “The Role IXPs and Peering Play in the E...Nicole White
Presentation given by Stephen Wilcox, CEO of IX Reach at PTC'14, entitled “The Role IXPs and Peering Play in the Evolution of the Internet”.
Excerpt:
"There are over 400 Internet Exchange Points distributed across the world, and growing. The largest and most successful reside in Europe and play a vital role in the growth and evolution of the Internet. There are over 50 IXPs in Europe alone, most promoting local traffic exchange but only a handful recognised as international hubs for interconnections. These particular IXPs continue to increase their value added services and expand globally - most recently to the US - promoting their non-for-profit and neutral business models in varying and emerging markets. This recent expansion makes it all the more important to consider the role IXPs and peering play in the continuing evolution of the Internet and how network operators should approach peering in a network blend.
The reciprocal interplay between Tier 1, 2 and 3 networks over IXPs, particularly those with an international focus, has become an interesting addition to the global Internet topology, enabling networks to reduce their costs and the Internet to grow in-line with end-user demand for high-bandwidth content and mobile usage. However, given 99.5% of peering agreements are completed on a hand shake, and the majority are settlement-free, scenarios such as de-peering can still occur, leading to partial Internet black-outs and events such as these need to be taken into consideration when building redundancy into a network.
This industry briefing will discuss the most common ways different networks value and utilise IXPs in their network blend, what to consider when choosing peering locations, why some participate at an IXP while others do not, and the de-peering scenarios that can occur and the impact this can have on a network's service. It will also touch on the geographical positioning of major IXPs and the trends in peering partners by selected countries."
Remote Internet Peering Vs IP Transit: A Shift in Internet ArchitectureRuth Plater
An overview explaining the reasons fo peering at Internet Exchange Points (IXPs), versus IP Transit, and the known benefits and uses of both approaches to a network blend.
The presentation brings to light the decline in pricing of IP Transit and what this means for the financial benefits that peering used to offer and how remote peering (or virtual connectivity at Internet Exchanges) continues to alter this landscape.
It also highlights how remote peering has changed the way network operators exchange traffic and made peering more accessible to smaller/medium sized companies and developing markets, by removing the initial barriers in terms of legal, billing and technical; simplifying the whole process of expanding a network.
Developing markets are also discussed, such as the Middle East, and the peering paradigm of 'keeping local traffic local' Vs virtually/remotely connecting to Internet Exchanges and the issues with both.
It touches on the shift in the industry and how Internet Exchanges and Data Centres are behaving more like networks and vice versa, explaining the new Central European Peering Hub project by LU-CIX - with IX Reach as the first carrier partner - whereby they encourage members to join major Internet Exchanges (DE-CIX, LINX, France-IX and AMS-IX) via their Internet Exchange platform.
The Internet backbone consists of just over 6000 independent networks that exchange traffic in fashions that are not well understood outside of the backbone networking community. We explain how it works, how it has evolved and how it is continuing to evolve today.
This is a revised and annotated version of material most recently given as an invited presentation at OFC 2014, the optical fiber conference in San Francisco, in March 2014.
To provide higher resolution, I've also uploaded a version w/o annotations, i.e. just the graphics.
These are the graphics (in higher resolution) for my presentation, Internet Peering with annotations. See "Internet Peering, with annotations" for details.
Understanding Remote Peering - Connecting to the Core of the InternetWilliam Norton
Understanding Remote Peering – The New Wave of Interconnection at the Core of the Internet.
Using real-world case studies, this free webinar explains remote peering and what it means to ISPs, content providers and the global Internet peering ecosystem. Learn from William B. Norton who has presented three popular USTelecom webinars on Internet peering.
Background
The Internet peering ecosystem is going through a historic and rapid paradigm shift.
The largest ISPs and content providers have always interconnected their networks at the core of the Internet using a technique called "Internet peering," the free and reciprocal exchange of access to each other's customers. In this way, networks of scale can exchange a large enough amount of traffic for free with one another to offset the cost of deployment (equipment, colocation, and transport to the colocation center). This justification is the basis for the business case for peering.
However, a recent trend -- called "remote peering" -- has emerged as a way to get these peering benefits but without the cost of additional equipment, transport, or colocation. The remote peering model is where a remote peering provider delivers transport to the customer router with Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) extension(s) from the largest exchange points in the world. In this way, the customer gets all of the benefits of peering (performance, control over routing, direct relationships with the peer networks, etc.) without the large initial capital and operational costs.
This is not just a fringe or small change to peering - it is a fundamental shift in the Internet architecture. Remote peering is a new technique that helps make peering accessible to a much larger population. As a result of the cost shift, an increasing percentage of networks are peering across great distances. The peering paradigm of "peering keeps local traffic local" is no more.
During the free webinar you will hear case studies from the field where medium-sized content companies are able to enter the peering ecosystem and connect to multiple Internet Exchange Points over a single circuit. These companies have graciously allowed their cost numbers to be shared so the traditional peering model can be compared against the emerging remote peering model. Also, the webinar will highlight the strongest arguments on both sides of the debate over whether remote peering is good or bad for the global Internet peering ecosystem.
William B. Norton, Executive Director, DrPeering International and Author of the new 2014 Edition of “The Internet Peering Playbook: Connecting to the Core of the Internet” which includes a new chapter dedicated to remote peering.
PTC'14 Presentation by Steve Wilcox: “The Role IXPs and Peering Play in the E...Nicole White
Presentation given by Stephen Wilcox, CEO of IX Reach at PTC'14, entitled “The Role IXPs and Peering Play in the Evolution of the Internet”.
Excerpt:
"There are over 400 Internet Exchange Points distributed across the world, and growing. The largest and most successful reside in Europe and play a vital role in the growth and evolution of the Internet. There are over 50 IXPs in Europe alone, most promoting local traffic exchange but only a handful recognised as international hubs for interconnections. These particular IXPs continue to increase their value added services and expand globally - most recently to the US - promoting their non-for-profit and neutral business models in varying and emerging markets. This recent expansion makes it all the more important to consider the role IXPs and peering play in the continuing evolution of the Internet and how network operators should approach peering in a network blend.
The reciprocal interplay between Tier 1, 2 and 3 networks over IXPs, particularly those with an international focus, has become an interesting addition to the global Internet topology, enabling networks to reduce their costs and the Internet to grow in-line with end-user demand for high-bandwidth content and mobile usage. However, given 99.5% of peering agreements are completed on a hand shake, and the majority are settlement-free, scenarios such as de-peering can still occur, leading to partial Internet black-outs and events such as these need to be taken into consideration when building redundancy into a network.
This industry briefing will discuss the most common ways different networks value and utilise IXPs in their network blend, what to consider when choosing peering locations, why some participate at an IXP while others do not, and the de-peering scenarios that can occur and the impact this can have on a network's service. It will also touch on the geographical positioning of major IXPs and the trends in peering partners by selected countries."
Remote Internet Peering Vs IP Transit: A Shift in Internet ArchitectureRuth Plater
An overview explaining the reasons fo peering at Internet Exchange Points (IXPs), versus IP Transit, and the known benefits and uses of both approaches to a network blend.
The presentation brings to light the decline in pricing of IP Transit and what this means for the financial benefits that peering used to offer and how remote peering (or virtual connectivity at Internet Exchanges) continues to alter this landscape.
It also highlights how remote peering has changed the way network operators exchange traffic and made peering more accessible to smaller/medium sized companies and developing markets, by removing the initial barriers in terms of legal, billing and technical; simplifying the whole process of expanding a network.
Developing markets are also discussed, such as the Middle East, and the peering paradigm of 'keeping local traffic local' Vs virtually/remotely connecting to Internet Exchanges and the issues with both.
It touches on the shift in the industry and how Internet Exchanges and Data Centres are behaving more like networks and vice versa, explaining the new Central European Peering Hub project by LU-CIX - with IX Reach as the first carrier partner - whereby they encourage members to join major Internet Exchanges (DE-CIX, LINX, France-IX and AMS-IX) via their Internet Exchange platform.
The Network Effects Bible is a comprehensive collection of terms and insights related to network effects all in one place. Produced by James Currier & the NFX team (www.nfx.com), an early-stage venture capital firm started by entrepreneurs who've built 10 network effect companies with more than $10 billion in exits across multiple industries and geographies.
Read the full Network Effects Bible at: https://www.nfx.com/post/network-effects-bible/
Follow us on Twitter @NFX
Community connectivity : building the Internet from scratchFGV Brazil
Community connectivity : building the Internet from scratch : annual report of the UN IGF Dynamic Coalition on Community Connectivity
Over four billion people are currently unconnected to the Internet, including around a billion individuals who do not have access to basic telephony services. The IGF Dynamic Coalition on Community Connectivity (DC3) promotes sustainable connectivity, fostering the role of the commons in networks and the elaboration of appropriate frameworks to empower communities and individuals through connectivity. Community networks are a subset of crowdsourced networks, structured to be open, free, and neutral. Such networks rely on the active participation of local communities in the design, development, deployment and management of the shared infrastructure as a common. This Report explores several dimensions of the community network debate. The Report and the Declaration on Community Connectivity are the official outcomes produced by the DC3 in 2016. The Report includes a selection of analyses of different community connectivity issues. Submissions have been evaluated for their novelty and undertook a blind peer-review process. The Declaration on Community Connectivity is included in this Report, as a conclusion.
Rio de Janeiro Law School (FGV Direito Rio)
www.fgv.br/direitorio
Just heard about something called NetNeutrality? Want to know more? This presentation includes everything you need including some of interesting facts & contributions done by our volunteers.
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Designed for local decision makers, The Next Generation Network Connectivity Handbook: A Guide for Community Leaders Seeking Affordable, Abundant Bandwidth reviews the current landscape of broadband networks, including next generation, gigabit capable networks, outlines best practices, summarizes existing models, and presents a framework through which community leaders might begin preliminary project steps given their city’s specific strengths and circumstances.
Reviving the FORGOTTEN Information Superhighway (2003)Wayne Caswell
Debate still lingers over government’s role in building an Information Superhighway and whether our lack of a national broadband policy means the concept is forgotten. Broadband – the “always on” network connection that receives and transmits digital content and services at high speeds – was supposed to change the way we live, work and play … as well as how we learn, shop, make things, entertain ourselves, and interact with others. It was supposed to give us remote access to libraries, museums, medical care, jobs, and government – resources that are available only to people living nearby. But since that aging vision is coming slower than expected, this paper aims to revive the initiative.
As consumers demand ever-greater amounts of high-quality content over the Internet,
service providers (SPs) are finding it difficult to increase revenues while containing costs.
This is due mainly to two trends: (1) over-the-top (OTT) content providers have outsourced
the delivery of content to pure-play content delivery network (CDN) companies, and (2) traffic
growth (with no resulting revenue benefit) is increasing network build-out and maintenance
costs for SPs.
APNIC Chief Scientist Geoff Huston presents on Future network needs and what's driving change at the 38th TWNIC OPM, held on 1 December 2022 in Taipei.
The Network Effects Bible is a comprehensive collection of terms and insights related to network effects all in one place. Produced by James Currier & the NFX team (www.nfx.com), an early-stage venture capital firm started by entrepreneurs who've built 10 network effect companies with more than $10 billion in exits across multiple industries and geographies.
Read the full Network Effects Bible at: https://www.nfx.com/post/network-effects-bible/
Follow us on Twitter @NFX
Community connectivity : building the Internet from scratchFGV Brazil
Community connectivity : building the Internet from scratch : annual report of the UN IGF Dynamic Coalition on Community Connectivity
Over four billion people are currently unconnected to the Internet, including around a billion individuals who do not have access to basic telephony services. The IGF Dynamic Coalition on Community Connectivity (DC3) promotes sustainable connectivity, fostering the role of the commons in networks and the elaboration of appropriate frameworks to empower communities and individuals through connectivity. Community networks are a subset of crowdsourced networks, structured to be open, free, and neutral. Such networks rely on the active participation of local communities in the design, development, deployment and management of the shared infrastructure as a common. This Report explores several dimensions of the community network debate. The Report and the Declaration on Community Connectivity are the official outcomes produced by the DC3 in 2016. The Report includes a selection of analyses of different community connectivity issues. Submissions have been evaluated for their novelty and undertook a blind peer-review process. The Declaration on Community Connectivity is included in this Report, as a conclusion.
Rio de Janeiro Law School (FGV Direito Rio)
www.fgv.br/direitorio
Just heard about something called NetNeutrality? Want to know more? This presentation includes everything you need including some of interesting facts & contributions done by our volunteers.
Next Generation Connectivity Handbook Vol. 2 (2017)Denise Linn Riedl
Designed for local decision makers, The Next Generation Network Connectivity Handbook: A Guide for Community Leaders Seeking Affordable, Abundant Bandwidth reviews the current landscape of broadband networks, including next generation, gigabit capable networks, outlines best practices, summarizes existing models, and presents a framework through which community leaders might begin preliminary project steps given their city’s specific strengths and circumstances.
Reviving the FORGOTTEN Information Superhighway (2003)Wayne Caswell
Debate still lingers over government’s role in building an Information Superhighway and whether our lack of a national broadband policy means the concept is forgotten. Broadband – the “always on” network connection that receives and transmits digital content and services at high speeds – was supposed to change the way we live, work and play … as well as how we learn, shop, make things, entertain ourselves, and interact with others. It was supposed to give us remote access to libraries, museums, medical care, jobs, and government – resources that are available only to people living nearby. But since that aging vision is coming slower than expected, this paper aims to revive the initiative.
As consumers demand ever-greater amounts of high-quality content over the Internet,
service providers (SPs) are finding it difficult to increase revenues while containing costs.
This is due mainly to two trends: (1) over-the-top (OTT) content providers have outsourced
the delivery of content to pure-play content delivery network (CDN) companies, and (2) traffic
growth (with no resulting revenue benefit) is increasing network build-out and maintenance
costs for SPs.
APNIC Chief Scientist Geoff Huston presents on Future network needs and what's driving change at the 38th TWNIC OPM, held on 1 December 2022 in Taipei.
VNNIC Internet Conference 2022: The Future of the InternetAPNIC
APNIC Chief Scientist Geoff Huston presents on the future of the Internet at the inaugural VNNIC Internet Conference, held from 22 to 25 June in Da Nang, Viet Nam.
'Future Evolution of the Internet' delivered by Geoff Huston at Everything Op...APNIC
Geoff Huston, Chief Scientist at APNIC deliver keynote presentation on the 'Future Evolution of the Internet' at the Everything Open 2024 conference in Gladstone, Australia from 16 to 18 April 2024.
Benefits of doing Internet peering and running an Internet Exchange (IX) pres...APNIC
Che-Hoo Cheng, Senior Director, Development at APNIC presents on the "Benefits of doing Internet peering and running an Internet Exchange (IX)" at the Communications Regulatory Commission of Mongolia's IPv6, IXP, Datacenter - Policy and Regulation International Trends Forum in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia on 7 March 2024
APNIC Training Delivery Manager for SEA and SA, Shane Hermoso, presents on the importance of peering and IXPs at the Women in Networking series on 17 November 2021
2016 Broadband Outlook Report, Telecoms.comBrian Metzger
The Broadband Outlook Report is based on quantitative research from more than 600 telecommunications and internet professionals, with over 50% of respondents representing communications service providers (CSPs). Inside you will discover:
* How CSPs define digital transformation
* What percentage of CSPs have a digital transformation strategy
* Which capabilities CSPs say are the most important to improving the digital experience
* And much more insight into the telecom industry’s digital transformation imperative
Cloud Computing at a Glance, the Vision of Cloud Computing, Defining a Cloud, A Closer Look, Cloud Computing Reference Model, Characteristics and Benefits, Challenges Ahead, Historical Developments. Virtualization: Introduction, Characteristics of Virtualized Environment, Taxonomy of Virtualization Techniques, Virtualization and Cloud computing, Pros and Cons of Virtualization, Technology Examples- VMware and Microsoft Hyper-V.
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A look at the recent issues with "Sender Pays" in the broader context of Internet service provider interconnection. Used for a BEREC Workship in October 2023.
Instagram has become one of the most popular social media platforms, allowing people to share photos, videos, and stories with their followers. Sometimes, though, you might want to view someone's story without them knowing.
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A cellular network, frequently referred to as a mobile network, is a type of communication system that enables wireless communication between mobile devices. The final stage of connectivity is achieved by segmenting the comprehensive service area into several compact zones, each called a cell.
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Quattordicesimo Meetup di Milano, tenutosi a Milano il 23 Maggio 2024 dalle ore 17:00 alle ore 18:30 in presenza e da remoto.
Abbiamo parlato di come Axpo Italia S.p.A. ha ridotto il technical debt migrando le proprie APIs da Mule 3.9 a Mule 4.4 passando anche da on-premises a CloudHub 1.0.
1.Wireless Communication System_Wireless communication is a broad term that i...JeyaPerumal1
Wireless communication involves the transmission of information over a distance without the help of wires, cables or any other forms of electrical conductors.
Wireless communication is a broad term that incorporates all procedures and forms of connecting and communicating between two or more devices using a wireless signal through wireless communication technologies and devices.
Features of Wireless Communication
The evolution of wireless technology has brought many advancements with its effective features.
The transmitted distance can be anywhere between a few meters (for example, a television's remote control) and thousands of kilometers (for example, radio communication).
Wireless communication can be used for cellular telephony, wireless access to the internet, wireless home networking, and so on.
Bridging the Digital Gap Brad Spiegel Macon, GA Initiative.pptxBrad Spiegel Macon GA
Brad Spiegel Macon GA’s journey exemplifies the profound impact that one individual can have on their community. Through his unwavering dedication to digital inclusion, he’s not only bridging the gap in Macon but also setting an example for others to follow.
Italy Agriculture Equipment Market Outlook to 2027harveenkaur52
Agriculture and Animal Care
Ken Research has an expertise in Agriculture and Animal Care sector and offer vast collection of information related to all major aspects such as Agriculture equipment, Crop Protection, Seed, Agriculture Chemical, Fertilizers, Protected Cultivators, Palm Oil, Hybrid Seed, Animal Feed additives and many more.
Our continuous study and findings in agriculture sector provide better insights to companies dealing with related product and services, government and agriculture associations, researchers and students to well understand the present and expected scenario.
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Gen Z and the marketplaces - let's translate their needsLaura Szabó
The product workshop focused on exploring the requirements of Generation Z in relation to marketplace dynamics. We delved into their specific needs, examined the specifics in their shopping preferences, and analyzed their preferred methods for accessing information and making purchases within a marketplace. Through the study of real-life cases , we tried to gain valuable insights into enhancing the marketplace experience for Generation Z.
The workshop was held on the DMA Conference in Vienna June 2024.
Gen Z and the marketplaces - let's translate their needs
HKNOG 6.0: Death in Transit
1. The Death of Transit
and Beyond
Geoff Huston
Chief Scientist, APNIC
Dave Crosby, https://www.flickr.com/photos/wikidave/4044498586/
2. This presentation is not about any
specific network details
Or specific plans
Or particular services
Or any particular technology
Or anything like that
7. Our Heritage
The Telephone Network:
The major technology achievement of the twentieth century
– Connected handsets to handsets
– The network was intentionally transparent
– Real time virtual circuit support between connected edge
devices
– Network-centric architecture with minimal functionality in
the edge devices
9. Computer Networks
The original concept for computer networks was
like the telephone network:
– The network was there to enable connected computers
to exchange data
• All connected computers were able to initiate or receive “calls”
• A connected computer could not call ”the network” – the network
was an invisible common substrate
• It made no difference if the network had active or passive internal
elements
9
10. Internet Architecture (c1980’s)
“End-to-End” design:
– Connected computer to computer
– The network switching function was stateless
No virtual circuits, no dynamic state for packets to follow
– Single network-wide addressing model
– Single network-wide routing model
– Simple datagram unreliable datagram delivery in each packet
switching element
– hop-by-hop destination-address-based packet forwarding paradigm
12. The Result was Revolutionary!
By stripping out network-centric virtual circuit states and removing time
synchronicity the resultant carriage network was minimal in design and
functionality
More complex functions, such as flow control, jitter stability, loss mitigation and
reliability, were pushed out to the attached devices on the edge
12
13. (in)Equality of Networks
In the regulated world of national telephone operators every telephone network
was “equal”
But we rapidly started differentiating between Internet networks -- Internet
networks were not all the same.
We started differentiating on roles and services and differentiating by the flow
of revenues between networks
15. Enter Content
Breaking the edge into clients and servers
– Access networks service the needs “clients”
– Clients are not directly reachable by other clients
– Clients connect to services
The role of the network here is to carry clients to the service
access point
– The assumption here is that there are many more clients than service
points
16. Content vs Carriage
Who pays whom?
– The only reason why access networks have clients is because there
are content services that clients want to access
• Therefore carriage should pay for content
– There is no “end-to-end” financial settlement model in the Internet –
both “ends” pay for access and network providers settle between
themselves. To a carriage network, content is just another client
• Content should pay for carriage, just like any other client
17. Content vs Carriage
Who pays whom?
– The only reason why access networks have clients is because there
are content services that clients want to access
• Therefore carriage should pay for content
– There is no “end-to-end” financial settlement model in the Internet –
both “ends” pay for access and network providers settle between
themselves. To a carriage network, content is just another client
• Content should pay for carriage, just like any other client
The content folk resolved this fight by
going “over the top” and created
relationships directly with end users
21. Let them eat data!
The rise of the Content Distribution Network
– Replicate content caches close to large user populations
– The challenge of delivering many replicant service requests over
high delay network paths is replaced by the task of updating a set of
local caches by the content distribution system and then serving user
service requests over the access network
– Reduced service latency, increased service resilience, happy
customers!
22. Role Reversal
Service portals are increasingly located adjacent to users
And that means changes to the network:
– Public Networks no longer carry users’ traffic to/from service portals
via ISP carriage services
– Instead, Private Networks carry content to service portals via CDN
services
This shift has some profound implications for the Internet
22
23. Who’s building now?
Almost all new submarine international cable projects are
heavily underwritten by content providers, not carriers
Large content providers have huge and often
unpredictable traffic requirements, especially
among their own data centers. Their capacity
needs are at such a scale that it makes sense
for them, on their biggest routes, to build
rather than to buy. Owning subsea fibre pairs
also gives them the flexibility to upgrade
when they see fit, rather than being beholden
to a third-party submarine cable operator.”
Tim Stronge of Telegeography, January 2017
24. Submarine Cables
24
Fewer cables being built
And those that are being built are now
single owner cables
And the majority are now
self-funded
Tim Stronge, Telegeography, Jan 2017
25. Submarine Cables
25
Fewer cables being built
And those that are being built are now
single owner cables
And the majority are now
self-funded
Tim Stronge, Telegeography, Sept 2017
26. Today’s Internet Architecture
We’ve split the network into clients and servers
– Web servers
– Streaming servers
– Mail servers
– DNS servers
Servers and services now sit in CDN bunkers with global replication
and DDOS hardening
Users don’t reach out to content any more - the CDNs bring content to
users
28. Open Transit?
• If users don’t send packets to users any more…
• If content is now delivered via CDNs to users via
discrete service cones…
• If there is no universal service obligation…
Then why do we still need Transit Service providers?
29. Closed Transit?
29
We see the CDN systems reserve a carriage resource through dedicated
bandwidth / wavelength / cable purchase and effectively bypass the open
IP carriage infrastructure
30. Transit?
• Once the CDN caches sit “inside” the Edge NAT of the
Access ISP then the entire wide area network becomes
a marginal activity compared to the value of the content
feeds!
31. Internet Names and Addresses?
If the Internet is (or maybe soon will be) a collection of
discrete CDN service ‘cones’ then why do we expect end
users to pay for the maintenance of:
– A global address plan?
– A global name system?
– A single global network?
32. It’s not just the Death of Transit
It’s the re-purposing of the entire network
– Service provisioning sits within cloud providers and distributed data
centres
– Edge computers are now acting as televisions into the clouded world
of data
– The distinction between personal and public data realms is
disappearing into the realm of corporately owned private data
empires
32
33. Exactly where are we?
• We started this journey building a telephone network for computers to
communicate between each other
• But now one-way content distribution lies at the core of today’s Internet
• This content distribution role is an enterprise service framework rather
than a public carriage service
• The internal parts of the carriage network are now being privatized and
removed from public regulatory scrutiny
33
34. Policy?
If CDN feeder networks are private networks, and there is
little residual public carriage other than last mile access
networks, then what do we really mean by “public
communications policy”?
In the regulatory world ‘content’ is commerce, not carriage!
34
35. Policy?
In today’s Internet what do we mean in a policy sense by concepts
such as:
“universal service obligation”
“network neutrality”
“rights of access” or even
“market dominance”
when we are talking about diverse CDNs as the dominant actors in the
Internet?
35
36. Company $B USD
Apple 818
Alphabet 727
Microsoft 659
Amazon 563
Facebook 513
Tencent 493
Berkshire Hathaway 489
Alibaba Group 440
Johnson & Johnson 375
JPMorgan Chase 371
The Large and the Largest
36
The world’s 10 largest
publicly traded
companies, as ranked
by their market
capitalization, 4Q, 2017
37. Content Really is King
• None of these five technology companies are a
telephone company, or even a transit ISP, or even an
ISP at all!
• All of them have pushed aside carriage networks in
order to maintain direct relationships with billions of
consumers
• These valuable consumer relationships are based on
content services, not carriage
37
38. Content Consolidation
• There are not thousands of content service platforms
– There are just a few left
• And the space is dominated by a small number of
dominant actors who set the rules of engagement for
all others
38
39. Content Consolidation
“The size and scale of the attacks that can now easily be launched online make it
such that if you don't have a network like Cloudflare in front of your content, and
you upset anyone, you will be knocked offline.
…
In a not-so-distant future, if we're not there already, it may be that if you're
going to put content on the Internet you'll need to use a company with a giant
network like Cloudflare, Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Amazon, or Alibaba.
…
Without a clear framework as a guide for content regulation, a small number of
companies will largely determine what can and cannot be online.
39
https://blog.cloudflare.com/why-we-terminated-daily-stormer/ August 2017
40. Competition or Cartel?
With a small number of truly massive enterprises at the heart
of the area of digital content and service is this still a space
that is shaped by competitive pressures?
Or do these dominant incumbents get to set their own terms
of engagement with each other, with users, and even with the
public sector?
40
41. Competition or Cartel?
With a small number of truly massive enterprises at the heart
of the area of digital content and service is this still a space
that is shaped by competitive pressures?
Or do these dominant incumbents get to set their own terms
of engagement with each other, with users, and even with the
public sector?
41
As concerning as this might sound, it’s not
a novel situation!
43. The Gilded Age
A term applied to America in the 1870 – 1890’s about the building of industrial
and commercial corporate giants on platforms that were a mix of industrial
innovation and enterprise with elements of greed, corruption and labor
exploitation
43
Andrew Carnegie - US Steel
John Rockfeller - Standard Oil
Theodore Vail - AT&T
George Westinghouse – Rail Brakes
Thomas Edison – General Electric
J P Morgan - Banking
44. The Gilded Age
44
During this period in the United States
the dominant position within industry
and commerce was occupied by a
very small number of players who
were moving far faster than the
regulatory measures of the day.
The resulting monopolies took the US
decades to dismember, and even
today many of these gilded age
companies remain dominant in their
field
45. The Internet’s Gilded Age
At some point in the past decade or so
the dominant position across the entire
Internet has been occupied by a very
small number of players who are
moving far faster than the regulatory
measures that were intended to curb
the worst excesses of market
dominance by a small clique of actors.
45
46. Company $B USD
Apple 818
Alphabet 727
Microsoft 659
Amazon 563
Facebook 513
Tencent 493
Berkshire Hathaway 489
Alibaba Group 440
Johnson & Johnson 375
JPMorgan Chase 371
Who’s Gilding?
46
47. The Internet’s Gilded Age
These actors have enough market influence to set their
own rules of engagement with:
– Users,
– Each other,
– Third party suppliers,
– Regulators and Governments
By taking a leading position with these emergent
technologies, these players are able to amass vast
fortunes, with little in the way of accountability to a broader
common public good
47
48. The Internet’s Gilded Age
These actors have enough market influence to set their
own rules of engagement with:
– Users,
– Each other,
– Third party suppliers,
– Regulators and Governments
By taking a leading position with these emergent
technologies, these players are able to amass vast
fortunes, with little in the way of accountability to a broader
common public good
48
Is this the Internet we were
dreaming of?
49. The Internet’s Future
Gittes: How much are you worth?
Cross: I've no idea. How much do you want?
Gittes: I just want to know what you're worth. Over
ten million?
Cross: Oh my, yes!
Gittes: Why are you doing it? How much better can you
eat? What can you buy that you can't already
afford?
Cross: The future, Mr. Gittes - the future!
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Chinatown (1974)
50. What is this all about?
This is no longer just a conversation about incremental changes in
carriage and communications within the Internet.
For me, the essential topic of this conversation is how we can strike a
sustainable balance between an energetic private sector that has
rapidly amassed overarching control of the digital service and content
space, and the needs of the larger society in which we all would like
some equity of opportunity to thrive and benefit from the outcomes of
this new digital age.
50