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Internet Peering in the UK. Keith Mitchell keith@linx.net Executive Chairman, London Internet Exchange 13th May 1998. Settlement. Voice Telephony money flows from traffic/call originator to recipient’s carrier Internet wholesale generally as above
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Internet Peering in the UK Keith Mitchell keith@linx.net Executive Chairman, London Internet Exchange 13th May 1998
Settlement • Voice Telephony • money flows from traffic/call originator to recipient’s carrier • Internet • wholesale generally as above • peering interconnection has no money flow
Reasons for non-Settlement Peering • Volume-based accounting for datagram traffic resource intensive • Revenue flow from small players to large can: • create barrier to entry • accelerate consolidation • LINX MoU rule • Time for change ?
UK State of Play • Most peering via LINX • majority of members do peer • disputes unusual • Some smaller players via 2 regional exchanges • Limited (~5) private bi-lateral peerings • Lots of settlement-based bi-lateral wholesale/transit
Should ISPs setPeering Policy ? • In general, YES • key autonomy issue for ISP businesses • BUT: • may need to regulate players with significant market share • ideally take steps to avoid need to do this
LINX Background • LINX is UK national Internet Exchange Point • Represents 47 largest UK ISPs • Tries to encourage open peering and competition between ISPs • Promotes self-regulation (e.g IWF), but is not “regulator” • Channel of communication between ISPs and regulators
LINX Peering Environment • Restricted but published & well-defined membership criteria • Minimum of interference in member peering autonomy • Peering agreements private matter between members • Incentives to peer • Disincentives to not peer
LINX Peering Practice (1) • Members must peer with >=20% of other members: • to acquire voting rights • to remain member after 3 months • may reduce and/or replace above “stick” with “carrot(s)”
LINX Peering Practice (2) • Members must: • publish peering contacts • respond to peering requests within 2 days • Peering matrix on web page converts routing registry data into end-user friendly format • end-user consumer pressure
LINX Peering Practice (3) • Complaints can be referred to LINX Chair • Tiered peering used by some and works well: • exchange of subset of customer routes/territory • multiple ASes/routing policies • or bandwidth limited
Good Peering Practice • “Self-regulatory” measures • Peering policies should be: • registered • in public domain • consistently & fairly implemented • stable
Possible Peering Incentives • Additional membership status • Additional facilities • e.g. switch ports • access to VA services • Membership discounts
Conclusions (1) • Open peering can promote competition • Closed bi-lateral exchange can inhibit it • Open peering arbiter can facilitate competition: • as L1/L2 exchange • as organisational environment
Conclusions (2) • Peering in UK at LINX is working better than most other exchanges in other countries • Good model, though room for development • Market will determine when settlement or not is best • Imposition of settlement or not would distort UK wrt global market