BT Group Could Rekindle Net Neutrality Debate


BT Group, the European telecom giant and owner of British Telecommunication, has admitted to throttling back speeds of the BBC video content player, iPlayer.

Now it says it wants content providers to help shoulder the financial burden of delivering video and other high-bandwidth data streams to Internet consumers.

This is exactly the type of arm-twisting proponents of net neutrality reform hoped to avoid. Recently, the momentum behind net-neutrality legislation in the U.S. has begun to pick up.

Supporters cite President Obama’s recent statement that the Internet should be “open and free” as an indication he is behind such an initiative. Obama made the comment during a speech about Internet security.

Now it is likely these backers of an initiative will have new ammunition in the BT controversy, even thought BT does not provide Internet-access in the U.S.

An article on Silicon.com notes that a BT spokesperson on Thursday admitted the company “throttles video traffic to 896 Kbps for Option 1 customers between 5 p.m. and midnight.”

As video traffic increases, it is unsustainable for ISPs to pick up the bill, the spokesperson goes on to say.

In the U.S., both Barack Obama's nominee to head the Federal Communications Commission, Julius Genachowski, and the new leader of the Federal Trade Commission, Jon Leibowitz, are backers of net neutrality. In addition, Democrats run key committees in Congress.

As a result, don’t be surprised to see legislation coming from Washington and don’t be surprised to hear the BT flap waved about in the process.