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Cape Town - An internet service provider (ISP) has offered internet users in South Africa an unshaped connectivity option.
Shaping refers to prioritising web browsing and email over rich media such as video internet traffic.
OpenWeb has debuted its 'Everyday Capped Unshaped' package which promises unshaped bandwidth on ADSL or fibre broadband lines.
The ISP guarantees that it will not shape traffic for customers on its network.
"Turn on those downloads at 12 in the afternoon or 12 at night and watch your line catch fire. The best part is that all usage between 00:00 and 06:00 daily is Uncapped," said chief executive Keoma Wright.
Net neutrality standards
Shaping has long been an established practice of ISPs in SA as a business exercise to ensure equitable access to internet connectivity.
However, the principle may be in violation of net neutrality standards that prohibit selectively prioritising data.
In the US, operator Comcast paid a $16m fine in 2009 after a lawsuit alleging that the company blocked BitTorrent uploads.
The European Union also recently passed legislation that forbids throttling of online content.
According to Denmark-based Strand Consult, a network as a “dumb pipe” could have the unintended consequence of benefiting large online media providers such as Netflix.
“Theoretically a fast lane, if it existed, would be of greatest benefit to the small start-up. If you want to compete with Netflix with 65 million customers in 50 countries, there is no way a start-up can invest in such a distribution system (especially the cost of licensing the content),” vice president Roslyn Layton recently told Fin24.
The OpenWeb packages start at R148 for 75GB and usage between 00:00 and 06:00 does not count toward the cap.
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