Archives for December 2015

The unnatural nature of networks

Imagine for a moment you’re standing in a remote jungle in the tropics. Around you there are thousands of swaying trees, flapping birds and mildly worrying creepy crawlies. You venture forth, carefully noting the shapes and colours of each species you encounter.

The real reason why network ‘neutrality’ is impossible

In “Net Neutrality: Discrimination, Competition, and Innovation in the UK and US”, Alissa Cooper and Ian Brown explore the relationship between two broadband regulatory regimes and their practical outcomes. The paper is of (paradoxical) interest as it (unintentionally) demonstrates how policy is being made without sufficient understanding of packet network performance.

The best of 2015

Here is a summary of this year’s Future of Communications content. If you find value in what I write, the best gift you can give to me in return is to ask your colleagues to sign up to my newsletter.

The appeal against broadband reclassification

A British perspective on a very American process As a new member of the the “Tech Elders”, I was invited to join yesterday’s hearing [PDF] in Washington, DC on the reclassification of broadband Internet access services. The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has decreed that Internet access should switch from from being lightly regulated as an ‘information service’ […]

What is a ‘polyservice’ network?

The issue of quality in networks has been long being troublesome, as the underlying science of ‘QoS’ has fallen short of what we need. We have now filled in a significant part of the missing mathematical foundations. The culmination of that work is the ∆Q framework.

Superfit Broadband

The ISP industry has been selling the public (and government) on the benefits of ‘superfast’ broadband. This was a good approach, as historically more quantity did mean better quality. That relationship is now breaking down. A lot of capital is being squandered on delivering substandard experiences.