There's a mention somewhere in the middle of the thread that someone had seen something similar with Apple's software updates, too: maybe it's a more general Akamai issue?
Even if it is isolated to the servers distributing MS's updates, I'm having trouble seeing how this could even be MS's fault-- it's the server side (owned and operated by Akamai) that's misbehaving here.
I'm not convinced either way. Windows Update is the one opening the dozens of connections (it has to if it's behind a firewall), not Akamai; Akamai's just serving the data. But Windows Update is possibly just calling out to an Akamai library that opens the dozens of connections on its behalf.
If there are also congestion-algorithm shenanigans like the forum post suggests, then Akamai is definitely at fault. But the issue I see is that of connection hogging.
Even if it is isolated to the servers distributing MS's updates, I'm having trouble seeing how this could even be MS's fault-- it's the server side (owned and operated by Akamai) that's misbehaving here.