BITAG Announces Next Technical Review on Interconnection

["Livingood, Jason" <Jason_Livingood () cable comcast com>]

May be of interest to folks here

Begin forwarded message:
From: "Kaleb A. Sieh" <ksieh () bitag org<mailto:ksieh () bitag org>>
Subject: BITAG Announces Next Technical Review on Interconnection
Date: June 18, 2014 at 8:44:24 AM EDT

Today, the Broadband Internet Technical Advisory Group (BITAG) announced its next technical review focused on the topic 
of Internet Network Interconnection. This topic was submitted jointly by two of BITAG’s members, CenturyLink and the 
Center for Democracy & Technology, and the review will result in a report with an anticipated publication date in 
November 2014.


The Internet is a complex “network of networks” linked together in a variety of ways and by a variety of technologies. 
In order for end users connected to one network to access data and services connected to another network, these 
networks must “interconnect” with each other, either directly or indirectly.  Internet network interconnection, also 
often referred to as “peering” or “transit”, is an increasingly important topic as the Internet ecosystem faces a 
dynamic growth period characterized by rapidly increasing demand, changing technologies and product offerings, and 
significant shifts in data traffic patterns. But there is little public information about Internet interconnection 
available to those not intimately involved with operating networks – including consumers, journalists and regulators.


With this report, BITAG’s Technical Working Group (TWG) aims to provide an informative contribution to the ongoing 
discussion surrounding Internet network interconnection.  Some topics likely to be covered in the report include: (1) 
the history of Internet network interconnection, along with a brief historical review of network interconnection in 
other industries and contexts; (2) how Internet traffic is managed between networks; and (3) the evolving nature of 
Internet data traffic patterns.


Jason Weil, Principal Engineer at Time Warner Cable, and Joseph Lorenzo Hall, Chief Technologist at the Center for 
Democracy & Technology, will be the lead editors of the report on this topic. Douglas Sicker, Executive Director of 
BITAG, Chair of BITAG’s Technical Working Group, Department Head of Engineering and Public Policy and a professor of 
Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University, and on leave from the University of Colorado Boulder, where he is an 
Endowed Professor of Computer Science and Telecommunications, will chair the review itself.


For more information on the topic, please see the attached press release – which is also available on the BITAG website 
at www.bitag.org<http://www.bitag.org/>.
Below is more info on BITAG and its structure/processes. Feel free to contact me with any questions, comments, or other 
needs.

Kind regards,

Kaleb


Kaleb A. Sieh
Deputy Director
House Counsel
Broadband Internet Technical Advisory Group (BITAG)
ksieh () bitag org<mailto:ksieh () bitag org>


________________________________

About BITAG. BITAG is a non-profit, multi-stakeholder organization focused on bringing together engineers and technical 
experts in a Technical Working Group (TWG) to develop consensus on broadband network management practices and other 
related technical issues that can affect users' Internet experience, including the impact to and from applications, 
content and devices that utilize the Internet.

  *   Mission. BITAG's mission includes: (a) educating policymakers on such technical issues; (b) addressing specific 
technical matters in an effort to minimize related policy disputes; and (c) serving as a sounding board for new ideas 
and network management practices. Specific TWG functions can include: (i) identifying "best practices" by broadband 
providers and other entities; (ii) providing technical guidance to industry and to the public; and /or (iii) issuing 
advisory opinions on the technical issues that may underlie disputes concerning broadband network management practices.

  *   BITAG Reports. BITAG TWG reports focus primarily on technical issues, especially those with the potential to be 
construed as anti-competitive, discriminatory, or otherwise motivated by non-technical factors.  While the reports may 
touch on a broad range of questions associated with a particular network management practice, the reports are not 
intended to address or analyze in a comprehensive fashion the economic, legal, regulatory or public policy issues that 
the practice may raise.

About BITAG's Technical Review Process. BITAG's core substantive work is performed through its Technical Working Group 
(TWG), which was formed with the core principles of being: technically driven, balanced, open, efficient, independent, 
and flexible. The TWG reviews technical issues brought to it through Review Requests submitted by both Members and 
non-Members, or through a majority vote of the TWG engineers themselves.

  *   Committees. Each individual technical review is taken up by a committee of the TWG that is composed of engineers 
and other technical experts representing a broad cross section of the Internet ecosystem.
  *   Consensus-based. TWG committees operate on a consensus-basis, with balanced backstop voting procedures so that 
when consensus cannot be achieved, each Member category has an equal say in the work product regardless of the 
composition of the committee.
  *   Expeditious — 120-day "shot clock". BITAG was structured to work as expeditiously as possible, with each 
technical committee operating under a 120-day "shot clock" during which the respective technical review and report must 
be completed.