Transforming P2P Into P4P
Mar 14, 2008
Verizon and file-sharing startup Pando Networks will be releasing data later today that could signal a sea change in how some Internet service providers (ISPs) approach peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing services like Pando's.
According to the Associated Press, Verizon "has broken ranks with the [ISP] industry and...plans to help its users share files faster -- at least those who do it legally." Verizon and Pando have done recent testing that suggests that ISPs can boost download speeds by an average of 60 percent (and much higher in some circumstances) when they collaborate with P2P startups to optimize network resources.
Verizon and Pando are leading a voluntary industry working group to develop best practices for this type of cooperative, network-aware file sharing, known as P4P.
While it's not a panacea for critics of P2P, and won't be an option for wireless broadband operators (including Verizon), P4P is a step in a new direction.
On a side note, for those who plan to be at Tech Policy Summit in Hollywood later this month, two of the highlights should be Walt Mossberg's interview with Verizon CTO Richard Lynch and Declan McCullagh's interview with BitTorrent co-founder and president Ashwin Navin.
Update: Steve Wildstrom will be interviewing Richard Lynch; Walt Mossberg is unable to attend this year.
Tags:
BitTorrent, broadband, File Sharing, p2p, Pando, Tech Policy Summit, Verizon
