Policy Challenges in Mapping Internet Interdomain Congestion

28 Pages Posted: 31 Mar 2016 Last revised: 3 Oct 2016

See all articles by KC Claffy

KC Claffy

University of California, San Diego (UCSD)

David D. Clark

MIT CSAIL

Steven Bauer

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) - Laboratory for Computer Science (LCS)

Amogh D. Dhamdhere

CAIDA/UC

Date Written: August 24, 2016

Abstract

Interconnection links connecting access providers to their peers, transit providers and major content providers are a potential point of discriminatory treatment and impairment of user experience. In the U.S., the FCC has asserted regulatory authority over those links, although they have acknowledged they lack sufficient expertise to develop appropriate regulations thus far. Without a basis of knowledge that relates measurement to justified inferences about actual impairment, different actors can put forward opportunistic interpretations of data to support their points of view.

We introduce a topology-aware model of interconnection, to add clarity to a recent proliferation of data and claims, and to elucidate our own beliefs about how to measure interconnection links of access providers, and how policymakers should interpret the results. We use six case studies that span data sets offered by access providers, edge providers, academic researchers, and one mandated by the FCC. This last example reflects our recent experience as the Independent Measurement Experts that worked with the FCC and AT&T in establishing a measurement methodology for reporting on the state of AT&T’s interconnection links. These case studies show how our conceptual model can guide a critical analysis of what is or should be measured and reported, and how to soundly interpret these measurements. We conclude with insights gained in the process of defining the AT&T/DirecTV methodology and in the process of defining and applying our conceptual model.

Keywords: Internet interconnection, Internet measurement, FCC, congestion

Suggested Citation

Claffy, KC C. and Clark, David D. and Bauer, Steven and Dhamdhere, Amogh D., Policy Challenges in Mapping Internet Interdomain Congestion (August 24, 2016). TPRC 44: The 44th Research Conference on Communication, Information and Internet Policy 2016, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2756868 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2756868

KC C. Claffy

University of California, San Diego (UCSD) ( email )

9500 Gilman Drive
Mail Code 0502
La Jolla, CA 92093-0112
United States

David D. Clark (Contact Author)

MIT CSAIL ( email )

Stata Center
Cambridge, MA 02142
United States
617-253-6003 (Phone)

Steven Bauer

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) - Laboratory for Computer Science (LCS) ( email )

United States

Amogh D. Dhamdhere

CAIDA/UC ( email )

9500 Gilman Drive
Mail Stop 0505
La Jolla, CA 92093-0505
United States

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