Net blackout sparks talk of new rules

A feud between big network companies that has blacked out swaths of the Internet for thousands of people is prompting calls for government involvement, and may help trigger a rewrite of telecommunications laws affecting the Net.

On Wednesday, Internet backbone company Level 3 Communications cut off a direct link to a peer, Cogent Communications, as the result of a long-simmering contract dispute. The action left many customers on both sides unable to reach Web sites or send e-mail to people who used the other company's network until the connection was restored late on Friday.

The unilateral action, which came without warning to most customers, has prompted consumer advocates to call for protections against the interruption of basic Internet traffic. At least one influential congressman says he will try to add safeguards against this type of situation into an ongoing, major rewrite of the nation's telecommunications laws.

News.context

What's new:
Influential Rep. Rick Boucher wants to amend the Telecommunications Act to deal with feuding Internet companies.

Bottom line:
Boucher's not alone in being upset over the Net blackout caused by a spat between Level 3 and Cogent. Consumer advocates and others are also calling for a basic set of rules that would keep traffic flowing.

"I think that the situation has now gotten to point where some measure of federal assurance for the interconnection of these networks, and the charging of prices that are reasonable in all circumstances, is required," said Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Va., who sits on the House committee handling telecommunications law.

The three-day outage has highlighted a weak point in the Internet--a network technically built to withstand hurricanes and nuclear attack, but which can break down in places as a result of private companies' billing disputes.

The outage revolves around an arrangement called "peering," in which two big networks of roughly equal size agree to exchange data traffic without charging each other money. Smaller companies typically have to buy the right to connect to larger networks to exchange traffic.

In this case, Level 3 contended that it is larger than Cogent, so the smaller company should pay it for the right to connect, rather than maintaining the free "peering" relationship. A Level 3 representative said Cogent had been warned more than 90 days ago that the network cutoff would happen, unless Cogent made a new arrangement.

Cogent executives have fought back, saying the two networks are indeed of similar size and that they should not have to pay to exchange traffic.

Because both companies rely primarily on these direct connections, once Level 3 shut off the exchange of traffic, there was no way for data to flow between customers on the two networks. That meant that many customers--including many businesses, subscribers to Time Warner's Road Runner cable modem service, and universities including Harvard--were left without access to some Web sites, or have been unable to exchange e-mail with some people.

Can someone step in?
Despite the certain inconvenience--and in some cases, potential business hardship--suffered by customers as a result of the situation, experts say there is little recourse for regulatory bodies under today's law.

Since the beginning of the Internet's development, data traffic has been carried primarily by networks owned by private companies, which use private contracts to govern agreements as to how they exchange data across the boundaries of those networks. Most in the technology industry have fought hard to keep any regulation away from the Internet as it has developed.

However, as the Net has evolved from an academic and research curiosity into a vital part of the world's commercial

[testtest]

YOU ARE MAKING TOO MUCH OUT OF THIS

Any decent provider will not be relying on one network and will
have already rerouted traffic through other providers. This
should be a non issue and has been for me and countless
others. With the way you guys are talking, it sounds like the
world is coming to end. Give me a break! The Internet is not
dying! I can't get to Cogent through Level-3, so I just get to
Cogent through WilTel.

This would be like if a road closed down and someone said that
the nation's transportation system is down and we are all
screwed! Give me a break! Just take another road, you idiots!
CNet really knows how to blow stories completely out of
proportion. Net Blackout Sparks Talk of New Rules. Blackout my
ass. If you have a blackout it's your own damn fault for not
having an alternate route.

[killerpenguinz]

Re: YOU ARE MAKING TOO MUCH OUT OF THIS

Yes, because we are not all rich, nor can afford multiple carrier connections. Maybe where we are located we can't have multiple carriers. Before you blow your mouth off, maybe you should consider all sides of a situation.

[Rod Adams]

Too much?

Your comment seems to come from the perspective of an IT or
network adminstrator for a large organization.

How would a typical consumer or college student (some university
networks seem to be affected) know that they need more than one
provider in order to obtain reliable service? If Johnny is sending a
message to Dad asking for more money and that email is stopped
because of the dispute, who is to blame? Is there any recourse for
these consumers?

[testtest]

YOU ARE MAKING TOO MUCH OUT OF THIS

Any decent provider will not be relying on one network and will
have already rerouted traffic through other providers. This
should be a non issue and has been for me and countless
others. With the way you guys are talking, it sounds like the
world is coming to end. Give me a break! The Internet is not
dying! I can't get to Cogent through Level-3, so I just get to
Cogent through WilTel.

This would be like if a road closed down and someone said that
the nation's transportation system is down and we are all
screwed! Give me a break! Just take another road, you idiots!
CNet really knows how to blow stories completely out of
proportion. Net Blackout Sparks Talk of New Rules. Blackout my
ass. If you have a blackout it's your own damn fault for not
having an alternate route.

[killerpenguinz]

Re: YOU ARE MAKING TOO MUCH OUT OF THIS

Yes, because we are not all rich, nor can afford multiple carrier connections. Maybe where we are located we can't have multiple carriers. Before you blow your mouth off, maybe you should consider all sides of a situation.

[Rod Adams]

Too much?

Your comment seems to come from the perspective of an IT or
network adminstrator for a large organization.

How would a typical consumer or college student (some university
networks seem to be affected) know that they need more than one
provider in order to obtain reliable service? If Johnny is sending a
message to Dad asking for more money and that email is stopped
because of the dispute, who is to blame? Is there any recourse for
these consumers?

The real problem is....

The real issue here is the governmental intervention that is guaranteed to occur as a result of the short sightedness of a few corporate executives. Whether the motivation was personal or truly of shareholder interest, the result will be more regulation and taxes.

Will this eventually mirror our regulated telephone industry which is taxed very heavily ?to protect the interest of the consumer??

Yep- Federal regulation is the outcome

and it's no good for nobody- especially as it will be the linchpin that the UN can make it's case on to gather even more regulations and controls.

This clash of egos and pennys may go down as the worst internet decisions ever made.

The real problem is....

The real issue here is the governmental intervention that is guaranteed to occur as a result of the short sightedness of a few corporate executives. Whether the motivation was personal or truly of shareholder interest, the result will be more regulation and taxes.

Will this eventually mirror our regulated telephone industry which is taxed very heavily ?to protect the interest of the consumer??

Yep- Federal regulation is the outcome

and it's no good for nobody- especially as it will be the linchpin that the UN can make it's case on to gather even more regulations and controls.

This clash of egos and pennys may go down as the worst internet decisions ever made.

[m.meister]

I saw this coming..

In a post to the original story, I said they either need to get their
act together pronto, or face new regulations.

The fact is that Level 3 could take this to court without cutting off
the pipe. Their arrogance will cost them in new regulations.

This is what happens when business men act like 6-year-olds, they
get treated like 6-year-olds.

[m.meister]

I saw this coming..

In a post to the original story, I said they either need to get their
act together pronto, or face new regulations.

The fact is that Level 3 could take this to court without cutting off
the pipe. Their arrogance will cost them in new regulations.

This is what happens when business men act like 6-year-olds, they
get treated like 6-year-olds.

[ZenWarrior]

War on Terror!

Charge them both with domestic terrorism!

[ZenWarrior]

War on Terror!

Charge them both with domestic terrorism!