Vodafone gives network neutrality a thumbs down

Vodafone doesn't believe Network Neutrality will work as capacity demands increase, forcing operators to build out faster networks. Instead, a second network is needed, according to David Leftley, head of technology economics at Vodafone Group R&D. His idea of how future networks should be financed and built is at odds with the principles of network neutrality. "There are the network neutralists who believe we just build an infinite capacity network, as big as you can. Bandwidth is infinite, the carrier has no differentiation, and all content has infinite value. The application provider, on the whole, ignores the carrier. There is no value exchange, so I don't see how that can work," said Leftley. Instead, what is needed is an alternative, intelligent Internet that can extract and distribute the value of the content it carries, Leftley said. The solution he proposes, IPX (IP Exchange), is already being developed by mobile phone operators. IPX will consist of a number of private, global IP (Internet Protocol) backbones designed to guarantee quality of service when users connected to different mobile operators communicate with one other. The first IPX networks will see the light of day next year, and will make it possible for all involved to receive "a fair commercial return for their work," according to industry organization the GSM Association, which is leading the development. What Leftley sees as a change in the message from network vendors has convinced him that operators are on the right track.