
Google’s Network Congestion Algorithm Isn’t Fair, Researchers Say - signa11
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/xwepkw/googles-network-congestion-algorithm-isnt-fair-researchers-say
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jkilpatr
With modern congestion control oversubscribed connections can run smooth as
butter for most users.

Despite this essentially no ISPs use them. I have coworkers, friends, and
family members who can't reliably video-call on their '300mbps down / 15mbps
up' cable connections because upload is oversubscribed 50 to 1 and one person
on their drop has dropbox uploading.

Any sort of modern congestion control would fix this instantly, give everyone
a better experience.

But modern ISPs refuse to consider it.

I once took a informal survey of why at a network operators meetup.

The answer was universal, article titles like this mean that they would rather
everyone have bad service all the time than deal with any potential bad
publicity.

I really hate Google as a company, but this isn't worth complaining about
until they actively refuse to fix problems. It's especially not worth
punishing Google for being transparent about the algorithm so external
researchers can find flaws rather than hiding it.

~~~
snagglegaggle
Or.. they could not oversubscribe their lines? Cuts into their profit margins,
sure, and they'll need to reinvest in their infrastructure, but it makes the
whole business a lot less unethical.

~~~
jkilpatr
It's a Malthusian trap if you don't advertise 100 some other dude advertises
100 and customers think you need 100mbps to browse facebook because the 100
connection they got from that dude wasn't so good. So they won't even consider
your real 50mbps connection.

Selling speeds is a scam, but until enforcement is solid you can't afford not
to oversubscribe.

