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September 02, 2008
Video Compression May Emerge as Key Technology Following Comcast Cap
By Michael Dinan, TMCnet Editor
Calling for disclosure of statistics as the Web evolves into an increasingly video-based space, industry insiders reportedly are questioning a decision by the nation’s second-largest Internet service provider to limit use.
Comcast (News - Alert) Corp. made waves last week when it announced that starting Oct. 1 it would limit Internet use among subscribers to 250 gigabytes per month. The company defended its decision, in part, by noting how much Web use the figure includes: about 50 million e-mails’, 63,000 songs’ or 25,000 photos’ worth.
Yet, according to an article by Ki Mae Heussner of ABCnews.com, a 250 GB bandwidth cap may not appear as generous tomorrow as it does today, especially with the spread of high-definition video.
“Today’s bandwidth hog is tomorrow’s average user,” Fred Von Lohmann, a senior staff attorney for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit civil liberties group, told Heussner.
To emphasize the point, Heussner reports Von Lohmann as saying that if a cap had been imposed on the top 10 percent of Internet users in 1997 – Comcast says its proposed cap would affect about 1 percent of subscribers – then many Internet innovations of today would likely not exist.
“This is not an emergency, but it is something that needs to be carefully watched,” Lohmann reportedly told Heussner.
The cap follows a recent decision that sent shockwaves through the world of cable broadband providers, when federal officials ruled that Comcast violated U.S. policy when it blocked Internet traffic.
According to The Associated Press, the Federal Communications Commission voted 3-2 to order the cable company to change how it manages its network.
The commission isn’t requiring Comcast to pay a fine, according to AP Writer John Dunbar, but said the company must cease cutting off transfers of large data files among customers who use so-called “peer-to-peer” file-sharing software.
In a prepared statement issued here, Comcast spokesperson Sena Fitzmaurice said the company was disappointed in the FCC’s (News - Alert) “divided conclusion, because we believe that our network management choices were reasonable, wholly consistent with industry practices and that we did not block access to Web sites or online applications, including peer-to-peer services.”
Fitzmaurice added, “We also believe that the Commission’s order raises significant due process concerns and a variety of substantive legal questions. We are considering all our legal options and are disappointed that the commission rejected our attempts to settle this issue without further delays.”
It isn’t clear yet how the FCC-Comcast fallout will end.
Part of what’s annoying some Internet professionals is that Comcast isn’t releasing specific data about subscriber use, the way, for example, utilities such as the electric company release user data when hiking rates.
Author Om Malik, editor of GigaOM, a technology Web site, told Heussner that Comcast essentially has given users no proof for setting its policy.
“Comcast’s limit is substantially higher that those established by other service providers, Malik acknowledges,” Heussner writes. “But he maintains that the company’s decision amounts to metered billing and, if that’s the case, it should provide a tool so that consumers can monitor their own usage.”
Comcast officials have responded to that claim by saying such tools are free on the Web.
One positive that may emerge from the hubbub is that ISPs will put greater stock in so-called “video compression” companies such as On2 Technologies. Part of what companies such as On2 do is essentially makes it easier and faster to send video through the Web by making the files smaller.
According to Eero Kaikkonen, On2's chief marketing officer, Comcast's announcement only strengthens the case for improved video compression.
"People will certainly start paying closer attention to this issue," Kaikkonen told TMCNet. "Many don’t realize that a lot of video on IP networks is still compressed in old, inefficient formats, even as the amount of content grows every single day. Recently, we read a prediction from Cisco (News - Alert) that video will account for 50 percent of consumer Internet traffic by 2012 – over 260 exabytes a year. Here at On2, we’re meeting this ‘exaflood’ challenge with compression formats that deliver video quality as good or better than the latest standards-based formats (H.264 and VC-1) using up to 50 percent less data and requiring less power for playback. Our formats present enormous savings for everyone who uses video – content creators, CDNs, and consumers."
Don’t forget to check out TMCnet’s White Paper Library, which provides a selection of in-depth information on relevant topics affecting the IP Communications industry. The library offers white papers, case studies and other documents which are free to registered users. Today’s featured white paper is The Compelling ROI Benefits of Contact Center Quality and Performance Management Technologies, brought to you by Voice Print International (News - Alert).
Michael Dinan is a contributing editor for TMCnet, covering news in the IP communications, call center and customer relationship management industries. To read more of Michael’s articles, please visit his columnist page.
Edited by Michael Dinan
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