What Can I Do?

As a customer

If you want to continue to receive NZ content as directly, efficiently and cheaply as possible, then contact your internetwork service provider, ISP, and ask them what their peering policy is. If they don't satisfy you that it is aggressive or positive, then consider finding a more co-operative provider.

Ask among your acquaintances for information, most Internet customers know someone who knows about this issue. Check out our Frequently Asked Questions list for more information on ISPs that peer.

As a provider of “Content”

You are going to be significantly impacted by any reduction in peering and any subsequent increase in transit costs, in both financial, performance and resilience terms.

The impact will be particularly significant if your content requires high speed and large volumes for individual transactions. For static content of this type (mainly video or software mirrors) we have an offer that you might wish to consider.

As an operator of a Network

If you are a commercial operator, you will be aware of the efficiencies and value you can create out of picking up traffic for your customers (whether their usage is metered or not) at the lowest possible cost and with performance you control via peering at one of the NZ Internet exchanges. You'd also be aware of the benefits of giving your customers traffic to the recipient's network at the earliest, most efficient, opportunity.

Declining cheap traffic which your customers want en masse is false economy.

The conclusion is, you should peer, its better for your customers and you.

If you are a private operator, you should seriously consider peering. Every byte or bandwidth you can deliver to a peer is a reduction in your transit costs.

Prudently you will need to consider the costs of peering, both financial and operational. The costs are minimal, peering is presently the preserve of larger private networks, but many more organisations than do could benefit from peering.

Check out the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for more information on the costs and benefits of peering, particularly at an Internet Exchange.