The BBC is currently experimenting with multicast video distribution. To do this, they’ve made agreements with a select number of ISPs who peer at London’s Telehouse mega-exchange in Docklands.
If the Internet is not a thing, but a network of peering agreements then we’re seeing something interesting here. On what terms will ISPs get to peer/interconnect for multicast traffic? In effect we’re seeing a parallel internet emerge, dedicated to a particular traffic type.
Rather than trying to collar exclusive content agreements, perhaps ISPs now need to get competing on who they can get multicast peering Will we see a “top-down” approach with only a few large media sources of data allowed? Will anyone be able to access any mediamegacorp content, or will it be fragmented, with different users only seeing subsets of what’s out there? The BBC suggest the latter:
If you have non UK users we have started work on an international service, content will be different and more limited due to content rights restrictions.
Or will be see a more “end-to-end” flat-world outcome where anyone can multicast to anyone else?
Definitely one to watch — the economics, not the TV.
Posted by Martin Geddes at 12:56 PMTrackBack URL for this entry:
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