Bandwidth Shaping - Consumer Notification
Effective January 6, 2010, CityWest will begin using a network management technique known as “traffic shaping” or “bandwidth shaping.” This is a process where bandwidth allocated to heavy users would be limited during peak usage times, thus reserving bandwidth for other users. Such network management would only take place during peak usage hours, and only in the event of congestion. CityWest believes that all customers have the right to fair and equal access to the internet. Where some carriers are focusing on applications and limiting peer to peer traffic for instance, CityWest will not be managing by application, but rather by the user. We feel that our user-approach is completely non-discriminatory in nature and ensures fair and equal access for all customers regardless of the applications they run.
CityWest believes that ISP’s should be transparent with customers on traffic management policies and practices. Our approach to network management ensures fair and equal access for all customers giving all users the utmost freedom to innovate.
Q:
Is CityWest doing any bandwidth shaping now?
A:
No, at this point in time we are not. In the past we have used traffic management on the network but that equipment is no longer in use. We are giving notice now of our intent to implement traffic management measures on our network.
Q:
Why is this being introduced?
A:
We are doing this in order to ensure that all users have fair and equal access to the internet. Networks need to be managed in order to preserve business models online, and to ensure that all users, and all applications have equal access to the internet. This is like putting traffic lights on a roadway. During rush hour traffic, cities need to manage traffic to avoid gridlock.
Q:
Who will be affected by this?
A:
During periods of congestion the heaviest users of bandwidth at that point in time will be affected. Network management will limit the bandwidth allocated to those users until the congestion period has ended.
Q:
This occurs during peak usage times, when are the peak usage times?
A:
Usually between 4pm and 10pm on weekdays and periods of congestion might be periods of only a few minutes occurring during this peak period. Bandwidth management would be in effect during these congestion periods focusing on the heaviest users at that point in time. The ideal outcome here will be that users can start to schedule bandwidth intensive applications outside of these hours; otherwise those applications may be throttled during these peak times during periods of congestion.
Q:
What type of Internet traffic will be subject to the management practice?
A:
We will not be limiting any one-type of traffic, CityWest’s approach will not be to discriminate against any application or type of traffic; rather we will be limiting traffic based on the user.
Q:
Isn’t CityWest discriminating against heavy users then?
A:
There is a limited amount of bandwidth available to the Internet. Like a water pipe, only so much water can go through the pipe at the same time. Considering that each customer pays the same amount of money for access to this pipe, it is not fair for a few individuals to consume the majority of the available bandwidth. During periods of congestion this is exactly what is happening. Network management ensures; that all users have fair and equal access to the internet. The ideal outcome here will be that customers who run bandwidth intensive applications like peer to peer file sharing, will start to schedule these applications to run during non-peak usage times. Our policy will only throttle heavy users during periods of congestion, during normal usage conditions or during non-peak hours no users would be limited including heavy users.
Q:
How will this affect online gaming?
A:
We don’t expect that this will have any negative affect on online gaming, this will ensure that all users have fair and equal access to the internet including gamers. In fact, it may help to improve gaming as games generally do not consume large amounts of bandwidth.
Q:
Does this mean I’m not getting as much bandwidth as I used to?
A:
It means the opposite; it means you will have fair access to the internet even during periods of network congestion. The truth is that a small number of customers usually use the majority of bandwidth on a network. We are ensuring that the allocation of bandwidth is managed fairly and equally for all users.
Q:
How will this affect the Internet experience for the average user, what about for the heaviest user?
A:
The Internet is a shared resource, and our intention is to ensure equal access to that resource. For the average user, their Internet experience will be enhanced by bandwidth management. For the heaviest user, they will notice a slowdown during times of congestion. These slow-downs will force heavy users to schedule any non-critical applications that are bandwidth intensive during non-peak hours. This will enhance the internet experience for everyone. For users who run critical applications that are bandwidth intensive and that cannot be rescheduled we would want those users to contact us so that we can work with them on a solution.
Notice of Bandwidth Management Policy
Bandwidth Shaping - Consumer Notification
Effective January 6, 2010, CityWest will begin using a network management technique known as “traffic shaping” or “bandwidth shaping.” This is a process where bandwidth allocated to heavy users would be limited during peak usage times, thus reserving bandwidth for other users. Such network management would only take place during peak usage hours, and only in the event of congestion. CityWest believes that all customers have the right to fair and equal access to the internet. Where some carriers are focusing on applications and limiting peer to peer traffic for instance, CityWest will not be managing by application, but rather by the user. We feel that our user-approach is completely non-discriminatory in nature and ensures fair and equal access for all customers regardless of the applications they run.
CityWest believes that ISP’s should be transparent with customers on traffic management policies and practices. Our approach to network management ensures fair and equal access for all customers giving all users the utmost freedom to innovate.
Q:
Is CityWest doing any bandwidth shaping now?
A:
No, at this point in time we are not. In the past we have used traffic management on the network but that equipment is no longer in use. We are giving notice now of our intent to implement traffic management measures on our network.
Q:
Why is this being introduced?
A:
We are doing this in order to ensure that all users have fair and equal access to the internet. Networks need to be managed in order to preserve business models online, and to ensure that all users, and all applications have equal access to the internet. This is like putting traffic lights on a roadway. During rush hour traffic, cities need to manage traffic to avoid gridlock.
Q:
Who will be affected by this?
A:
During periods of congestion the heaviest users of bandwidth at that point in time will be affected. Network management will limit the bandwidth allocated to those users until the congestion period has ended.
Q:
This occurs during peak usage times, when are the peak usage times?
A:
Usually between 4pm and 10pm on weekdays and periods of congestion might be periods of only a few minutes occurring during this peak period. Bandwidth management would be in effect during these congestion periods focusing on the heaviest users at that point in time. The ideal outcome here will be that users can start to schedule bandwidth intensive applications outside of these hours; otherwise those applications may be throttled during these peak times during periods of congestion.
Q:
What type of Internet traffic will be subject to the management practice?
A:
We will not be limiting any one-type of traffic, CityWest’s approach will not be to discriminate against any application or type of traffic; rather we will be limiting traffic based on the user.
Q:
Isn’t CityWest discriminating against heavy users then?
A:
There is a limited amount of bandwidth available to the Internet. Like a water pipe, only so much water can go through the pipe at the same time. Considering that each customer pays the same amount of money for access to this pipe, it is not fair for a few individuals to consume the majority of the available bandwidth. During periods of congestion this is exactly what is happening. Network management ensures; that all users have fair and equal access to the internet. The ideal outcome here will be that customers who run bandwidth intensive applications like peer to peer file sharing, will start to schedule these applications to run during non-peak usage times. Our policy will only throttle heavy users during periods of congestion, during normal usage conditions or during non-peak hours no users would be limited including heavy users.
Q:
How will this affect online gaming?
A:
We don’t expect that this will have any negative affect on online gaming, this will ensure that all users have fair and equal access to the internet including gamers. In fact, it may help to improve gaming as games generally do not consume large amounts of bandwidth.
Q:
Does this mean I’m not getting as much bandwidth as I used to?
A:
It means the opposite; it means you will have fair access to the internet even during periods of network congestion. The truth is that a small number of customers usually use the majority of bandwidth on a network. We are ensuring that the allocation of bandwidth is managed fairly and equally for all users.
Q:
How will this affect the Internet experience for the average user, what about for the heaviest user?
A:
The Internet is a shared resource, and our intention is to ensure equal access to that resource. For the average user, their Internet experience will be enhanced by bandwidth management. For the heaviest user, they will notice a slowdown during times of congestion. These slow-downs will force heavy users to schedule any non-critical applications that are bandwidth intensive during non-peak hours. This will enhance the internet experience for everyone. For users who run critical applications that are bandwidth intensive and that cannot be rescheduled we would want those users to contact us so that we can work with them on a solution.