Peer-to-Peer Blog: World Cup Online -- Sorry, Wrong ISP

By Ben Henkels, Principal and Founder, CMP

So in this world of open access and discussions about net neutrality, there is a new discussion does your ISP have access to all available Internet content?

The biggest single sporting event on the planet, the World Cup of Football (known as soccer in the U.S.), gets all kinds of attention globally. With streaming media pretty much grown up, you can watch the matches live on the Internet; that is if your ISP in the U.S. is a partner with ESPN3.com.

A new form a value-add and differentiation is coming upon us. Content owners, particularly movie, music, and TV right owners, are now moving to a preferred provider” model.

Where is this going? Our attention and focus has been fixed on which service provider gets access to which network and under which terms and conditions while on the other side of the coin, companies are restricting which service providers get access to their content on the open” access highway. We undoubtedly will see more of this going forward where users will only be able to receive certain content if they are receiving service from particular providers. It puts a whole new spin on net neutrality, doesnt it?

Ben Henkels is the principal and founder of Communication Management Partners, a telecom brokerage and consulting business. Henkels also is a former member of the PHONE+/Channel Partners Conference & Expo Advisory Board.