Charter Seeks FCC Nod to Charge Video Streamers

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/charter-seeks-fcc-nod-charge-video-streamers-1299624

The telecom giant says the online video market is flourishing and there's no reason to hold it back from negotiating interconnection agreements with some of the world's largest companies.

Charter Communications wants permission to begin charging Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+ and other streamers for the pleasure of efficiently carrying its traffic. In a petition this past week to the Federal Communications Commission, the nation's second-largest provider of cable TV and internet services cited the flourishing online video marketplace and asked for a sunset of two notable conditions imposed on Charter's 2016 merger with Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks.

Back then, the Obama-era FCC was crafting net neutrality rules, and one of the more controversial discussions pertained to interconnection agreements, also called peering. A video service like Netflix tends to be a data hog, and ISPs argued that it was reasonable to negotiate commercial arrangements with content providers to ensure infrastructure accommodated high volumes of traffic. Ultimately, the FCC didn't ban interconnection agreements, and in any event under the leadership of Ajit Pai, the FCC moved to repeal net neutrality rules.

Here is a proposed discussions being floated to the FCC.

 

[TheBigA]

Here is a proposed discussions being floated to the FCC.

It's an interesting discussion, and one that could provide a huge boost to companies such as Comcast and AT&T.

It could allow AT&T to offer higher speed internet service as a bonus for subscribers to HBO Max. Just as one example.