Shifting Blame

Breaking reports have suggested that Netflix is engaging in a PR stunt in an attempt to shift blame to ISPs for the buffering that some of its customers may be experiencing.

According to one journalist’s tweet, Netflix is displaying a message on the screen for users who experience buffering which says: “The Verizon network is crowded right now.”

This claim is not only inaccurate, it is deliberately misleading.

The source of the problem is almost certainly NOT congestion in Verizon’s network. Instead, the problem is most likely congestion on the connection that Netflix has chosen to use to reach Verizon’s network.

Of course, Netflix is solely responsible for choosing how their traffic is routed into any ISP’s network. Some reporters seem to have bought into Netflix’s claims without question, and some have conflated this dispute with net neutrality.

For those looking for more careful analysis, however, there is plenty of good material out there by technical experts (such as industry analyst Dan Rayburn) that set the record straight.