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11.12.09 ISPs Will Likely Implement P4P Whether They Want To Or Not  By John VinsonIf you were to go around to various ISPs and ask about P4P technology, you'd be met with a mixed bag of reactions. If you've never heard of P4P, let me provide a brief summary. P4P technology is a means to optimize peer-to-peer connections (P2P). These connections eat up a massive amount of bandwidth, but with P4P, the amount is lessened. Which provides ISPs a more efficient manner of handling P2P connections. You are probably asking what the problem could be. If the technology provides more efficient connections, then it's as simple as flipping a switch, right? Unfortunately, there are many factors to take into account with P4P and P2P. The largest factor being the piracy problem that rights organizations have tried to team up with ISPs against. A large portion of piracy is conducted utilizing P2P networks through services like BitTorrent, and the long established Pirate Bay. The piracy problem really hurts the proponents of P2P, who use the connection as a legal means of transferring large files across the internet. Which leads into the next problem -- establishing a standards protocol for P4P. The technology for P4P has been around for close to three years now. Many ISPs have implemented it, while others have tested it to explore it's effectiveness. Many ISPs have stated that with utilizing P4P, their traffic congestion caused by P2P has dropped close to 40 percent. Testing has been positive, but unfortunately there has been a lack of cohesiveness in establishing an initiative for releasing on a wide scale. There's still time though, and many believe that P4P is still relative infancy. Another problem that ISPs face is the latest issues with the FCC, and the newly established network neutrality principles. If you've been keeping up with the latest efforts of the FCC, then you'll know how greatly ISPs have been effected these changes. Many have been scrambling around trying to form news policies to fit in this new landscape. While some ISPs might be hesitant in engaging with P4P, the path will inevitably lead there. As the web turns more and more towards video, the use of P2P networks will continue to rise. There will always be those who will use the network for piracy, but it won't be enough to keep ISPs from adopting P4P. Even if many of the major content providers they've partnered with before are made upset over it. About the Author: John is a staff writer for WebProNews. |
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