Stanford researchers invent tech workaround to net neutrality fights

Engineers at Stanford University have invented a new technology that would give broadband customers more control over their pipes and, they say, possibly put an end to a stale network neutrality debate in the US. The new technology, called Network Cookies, would allow broadband customers to decide which parts of their network traffic get priority delivery and which parts are less time sensitive. A broadband customer could then decide video from Netflix should get preferential treatment over e-mail messages, for example.

The technology could put an end to the current net neutrality debate focused on whether broadband providers are allowed to prioritize some network traffic and block or degrade other traffic, said the researchers, Professors Nick McKeown and Sachin Katti and electrical engineering grad student Yiannis Yiakoumis. Network Cookies, first described at a conference in Brazil in August, would put broadband carriers and web content providers on a level playing field when catering to user preferences, they said. The technology puts the control in the hands of broadband users, Yiakoumis said. "Giving users choice is both feasible and beneficial," he said. The technology adds transparency and "audit-ability" to network management processes, he added.