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Wednesday March 1, 2006

TM Net: P2P traffic clogging broadband

BY SHOM TEOH

CYBERJAYA: Peer-to-peer (P2P) traffic is choking up local broadband lines with 20% of users utilising 80% of the total bandwidth, according to Internet service provider (ISP) TM Net Sdn Bhd.

Dr Fadhullah Suhaimi Abdul Malek, general manager of TM Net’s corporate and strategy services, said that as the number of local broadband subscribers increases, more users are expected to use P2P applications such as Kazaa and BitTorrent to transfer files online.

“Such applications are often left on all day so they use much more bandwidth compared to users who merely use the Internet to surf or chat,” he said.

Fadhullah was speaking to reporters during the launch of the Business Software Alliance’s (BSA) “Right Click” campaign at Multimedia University (MMU).

The programme is aimed at educating Internet users to protect themselves while conducting online activities such as surfing and e-commerce.

Fadhullah said other countries with high broadband penetration also faced similar problems because “broadband users have a tendency to abuse bandwidth.”

“We are not against our customers using P2P. However, it is an unfair situation which needs to be addressed, as we cannot upgrade our infrastructure (merely) for the benefit of the minority,” he said.

To counter this problem, TM Net will introduce a number of time-based packages to cater for low-bandwidth users by the third quarter, said Mohd Nazeem Mohd Nasir, assistant manager of TM Net's technology planning and development department.

“We are coming up with a system that will inform users of their bandwidth usage via their monthly bill, and will recommend packages that are most suitable for their level of consumption,” he said.

The launch also saw the unveiling of a BSA website containing 20 online security tips for Internet users as well as several talks conducted by speakers from the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry, TM Net, Microsoft Malaysia and eBay.

“We want to make users aware so that they can proactively protect themselves from dubious websites and e-mail spam selling unlicensed or pirated software,” said Tarun Sawney, the BSA’s director of antipiracy in Asia.

“Many users are duped into purchasing what looks to be genuine software online, only to discover otherwise later on,” he said.

Sawney also observed that there has been a drastic jump in the number of software infringement cases on P2P networks corresponding with the growth of broadband penetration in Malaysia.

“Cases of software infringement have risen from 928 in 2003 to 8,000 last year,” he said.

Dr Ewe Hong Tat, dean of the MMU’s faculty of information technology, said the university was chosen for the launch because its students are heavy IT users.

“We hope that the students will propagate the knowledge they have learnt to their peers and to the rest of society when they join the workforce in the future,” he said.