Netflix on Time Warner Bandwidth Deal: ‘Consumers Should Get the Internet They Pay For’

Netflix already reached agreements with the nation’s other top Internet service providers — AT&T, Comcast and Verizon

Netflix, Time Warner Cable

Netflix is speaking out about a bandwidth deal it reached with Time Warner Cable that’s meant to improve streaming video quality for subscribers.

“We continue to believe consumers should get the Internet they pay for without both the sender and receiver having to pay for the same content,” Netflix spokeswoman Anne Marie Squeo told TheWrap on Wednesday. “Just a handful of U.S. ISPs have required these access tools, with Time Warner being the last of the four paid agreements.”

The deal came after Netflix complained that increased Internet congestion was slowing down its streaming service and the ISPs demanded the company pay to improve the situation. Netflix did not want to, as doing so would undercut its belief in net neutrality. Netflix views Internet access as a public utility.

Also read: Netflix Makes Deal With AT&T to Speed Up Its Videos

As TheWrap previously reported, Netflix has already secured deals with the nation’s other biggest Internet service providers — AT&T, Comcast and Verizon.

Netflix says it reached the agreement with Time Warner Cable in June, and started the interconnection between their networks this month.

Also read: Netflix Sets Date for Award-Winning ‘Print the Legend’ Documentary (Exclusive)

The Federal Communications Commission has encouraged the public to weigh in on the subject of net neutrality, even extending the deadline for commentary to Sept. 15. “To ensure that members of the public have as much time as was initially anticipated to reply to initial comments in these proceedings, the Bureau today is extending the reply comment deadline by three business days,” said the FCC.

Thus far the FCC has already received over a million comments.

Time Warner, which currently ranks sixth in Netflix’s recent indexing of popular ISPs, has not yet responded to TheWrap’s request for comment.

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