[viraptor]

I don't get this response.

> Rather than buy the capacity they need, Level 3 insists that Verizon should add capacity to the existing peering link for additional downstream traffic even though the traffic is already wildly out of balance.

So... Verizon doesn't even claim it's impossible, or the wrong solution. L3 says they need additional peering links and is willing to pay for the cards. Both companies have spare capacity on both sides of that link. The complaint is weird too "the traffic is already wildly out of balance" - of course it is - they're an ISP! Of course the customers will download more than upload.

What's wrong with that? Could someone explain why it isn't an accepted solution?

[waterlooalex]

I think Level 3 is saying they'd be willing to pay for the cards, but not bandwidth, eg continue using the free peering agreement.

Verizon is saying that Level 3 should pay for the bandwidth (probably way more costly than the cards), since they are already getting more than they are owed in the free peering agreement.

[jlgaddis]

There is no bandwidth to pay for. This is settlement-free peering. Once you have the line cards, it's simply a matter of adding the physical cross-connects.

[berkay]

Settlement free peering only happens if the traffic is balanced. In the case of Level3 and Verizon, it's not, hence Verizon's point (and apparently it was Level3's point when dealing with Cogent) is that the settlement free peering is not appropriate for such lop sided traffic and Level 3 needs to pay via alternative arrangement with Verizon.

[jlgaddis]

It happens when it's mutually beneficial, regardless of whether the traffic is balanced. I have (free) peering w/ a few networks that are wildly off-balanced (on the order of 5:1 at times) simply because "free" is still cheaper than what I'd pay to send it to them over another (paid) transit link.

[waterlooalex]

Bandwidth doesn't grow on trees :)

Verizon's position is that simply adding more cards within the free peering agreement will make it even more unbalanced in level 3's favour, hence their suggestion that level 3 pay for bandwidth through a different agreement.