Observations of an Internet Middleman
Here's the part that doesn't make sense to me, and hopefully someone can explain it:<p>Netflix pays Level 3 and Cogent to connect them to Comcast's network.  Comcast claims that only the Level 3 connection is saturated, and that Netflix is sending all their bandwidth over Level 3 because it's cheaper for them.<p>Doesn't Level 3 buy a contract from Comcast that says "we get to send this much data per month"?  If Netflix (or Level 3) tries to push more data through that, which causes congestion, it seems like a contractual fact that Comcast is either holding up their end of the bargain or not.<p>If that's true, and assuming that Comcast is transferring the contractually agreed upon part, isn't this actually Netflix and Level 3's fault?  Isn't it reasonable to assume that Netflix would need to either use another entry point into Comcast's network, or build one?<p>If Netflix/Level 3 congest one entry point, so movies stream slowly for Comcast users, it doesn't seem like Comcast is being unneutral, in the sense of packet inspection and routing based on content/source.<p>The problem seems upstream from the last mile networks, and it's very unclear to me whose fault it is, and if this even has anything to do with net neutrality at all (it doesn't seem to).<p>Please correct me where I'm wrong, I'm sure I am!