SCONEPRO B. Tan
Internet-Draft Meta
Intended status: Informational 15 May 2024
Expires: 16 November 2024
SCONEPRO Net Neutrality
draft-tan-sconepro-netneutrality-00
Abstract
This document provides a response to the question of whether SCONEPRO
can be used to undermine Net Neutrality provisions for network users.
It proposes guardrails to ensure Net Neutrality principles are
maintained.
Status of This Memo
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This Internet-Draft will expire on 16 November 2024.
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Table of Contents
1. SCONEPRO Background and Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.1. Net Neutrality Question . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2. Conventions and Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
3. Current Draft Response . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
4. Security Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
5. IANA Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
6. References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
6.1. Normative References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
6.2. Informative References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Author's Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1. SCONEPRO Background and Introduction
Video traffic is already 70% of all traffic on the Internet and is
expected to grow to 80% by 2028. New formats like short form videos
have seen tremendous growth in recent years. Both in developed and
emerging markets video traffic forms 50-80% of traffic on mobile
networks. These growth trends are likely to increase with new
populations coming online on mobile-first markets and the observation
that unlike text content, video content consumption is not being
limited by literacy barriers. On the other hand, the electromagnetic
spectrum is a limited resource. In order to ensure that mobile
networks continue functioning in a healthy state despite this
incredible growth, communication service providers (CSPs) will be
required to make infrastructure investments such as more licensed
spectrum, cell densification, massive MIMO etc. In order to flatten
the rate of growth, CSPs in several markets attempt to identify and
throttle video traffic based on user data plans. There are several
problems with this kind of throttling:
1. CSPs can not explicitly measure the effect that throttling has on
the end user’s quality of experience (QoE) making this an open
loop approach.
2. Traffic detection and throttling for every flow is compute
intensive for CSPs. With distributed UPF (user plane function)
in 5G mobile networks more nodes in CSP network may need to
support traffic detection and throttling. Traffic detection can
have inaccuracies and these inaccuracies are expected to increase
as the content delivery industry moves towards end-2-end
encryption like TLS 1.3 and encrypted client hello (ECH).
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3. The unpredictable and non-transparent behavior of traffic
throttlers used by CSPs confuse the bandwidth estimation and
congestion control protocols being used within end-2-end video
delivery sessions between content server and client. This
results in poor quality of experience (QoE) for the end user.
4. Content and Application Providers (CAPs) are designing algorithms
to detect the presence of such traffic throttlers to counter
their detrimental effects. These algorithms have their own
inaccuracies in detection and add compute resources on the CAP
side.
An alternative approach is for CAPs to self-adapt the traffic
corresponding to video flows. Since CAPs control the client and
server endpoints and can measure end user QoE, they are in a better
position to do this self-adaptation in a close loop manner. This
alternative approach has already been proven to improve user QoE in
production deployments [YouTube].
For this alternative approach to work a standardized secure on-path
network interface is required which will enable CSP controlled
network elements to signal the desired traffic profile
characteristics to the CAP client/server endpoints. The Secure
Communication of Network Properties (SCONEPRO) protocol (previously
known as SADCDN) is being proposed in the IETF as a working group
[SADCDN-Charter] motivated by this alternate approach.
1.1. Net Neutrality Question
During the IETF 119 SCONEPRO BOF, a question was raised about the
potential impact of SCONE PRO on Net Neutrality. This document
provides a response to that question and proposes guardrails to
ensure Net Neutrality is protected.
2. Conventions and Definitions
The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT",
"SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "NOT RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and
"OPTIONAL" in this document are to be interpreted as described in
BCP 14 [RFC2119] [RFC8174] when, and only when, they appear in all
capitals, as shown here.
3. Current Draft Response
The goal of a SCONEPRO technical standard is to support greater
network efficiency and video quality on a non-discriminatory basis
consistent with net neutrality principles [ISOC-2010] [ISOC-2015]
[BEREC-2022].
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Through stakeholder collaboration and alignment in the IETF forum,
the proposed solution is intended to be designed and implemented in a
way that is:
* Non-discriminatory: An open technical standard that any
application or website on QUIC on the internet can choose to
implement to signal and communicate a video rate with the network.
This should enable any application or website (if it chooses to)
to adapt to network conditions for video traffic and achieve
greater efficiency and video quality.
* No “fast lanes†or prioritization: A technical solution that does
not result in the delivery of some content being prioritized over
other content on the Internet.
* No CAP payment for participation: No payment to telcos by content
providers in order to implement and participate in the open
technical standard.
* Greater network efficiency and video quality for the Internet: A
technical standard that enables greater network efficiency and
video quality to the benefit of all traffic on the network.
CSPs have the responsibility to apply any network management
practices to traffic in a non-discriminatory way consistent with net
neutrality principles and regulations. The proposed open technical
standard enables the network to signal network conditions to
applications and websites (that choose to use the technical standard)
so that those applications and websites can adapt to the network
conditions to support better video quality and greater network
efficiency.
4. Security Considerations
General SCONEPRO security considerations are discussed in the other
documents covering the requirements
[I-D.joras-sadcdn-video-optimization-requirements] and specific
network-to-host signaling methods. This document provides only
addresses questions regarding net neutrality and SCONEPRO.
5. IANA Considerations
This document has no IANA actions.
6. References
6.1. Normative References
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[RFC2119] Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate
Requirement Levels", BCP 14, RFC 2119,
DOI 10.17487/RFC2119, March 1997,
<https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc2119>.
[RFC8174] Leiba, B., "Ambiguity of Uppercase vs Lowercase in RFC
2119 Key Words", BCP 14, RFC 8174, DOI 10.17487/RFC8174,
May 2017, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc8174>.
6.2. Informative References
[BEREC-2022]
Communications, B. of E. R. for E., "BEREC Guidelines on
the Implementation of the Open Internet Regulation", 9
June 2022,
<https://www.berec.europa.eu/sites/default/files/files/
document_register_store/2022/6/BoR_%2822%29_81_Update_to_t
he_BEREC_Guidelines_on_the_Implementation_of_the_Open_Inte
rnet_Regulation.pdf>.
[I-D.joras-sadcdn-video-optimization-requirements]
Joras, M., Tomar, A., Tiwari, A., and A. Frindell, "SADCDN
Video Optimization Requirements", Work in Progress,
Internet-Draft, draft-joras-sadcdn-video-optimization-
requirements-00, 5 January 2024,
<https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/draft-joras-sadcdn-
video-optimization-requirements-00>.
[ISOC-2010]
Society, I., "Open Inter-networking", 21 February 2010,
<https://www.internetsociety.org/resources/doc/2010/open-
inter-networking/>.
[ISOC-2015]
Society, I., "Policy Brief: Network Neutrality", 30
October 2015,
<https://www.internetsociety.org/policybriefs/
networkneutrality/>.
[SADCDN-Charter]
Proponents, I. S. B., "SADCDN Working Group Charter", 14
May 2024, <https://github.com/mjoras/SCONE-
PROTOCL/blob/main/documents/charter.md>.
[YouTube] YouTube, "YouTube Plan Aware Streaming", 21 March 2024,
<https://datatracker.ietf.org/meeting/119/materials/
slides-119-sconepro-youtube-plan-aware-streaming-01>.
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Acknowledgments
This document represents collaboration and inputs from others,
including:
* Abhishek Tiwari
* Anoop Tomar
* Matt Joras
* Wesley Eddy
* Alan Frindell
Author's Address
Bryan Tan
Meta
Email: bryantan@meta.com
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