AT&T and Verizon execs expect file-sharing applications will become widely-used tools, mostly because they're efficient and inexpensive distribution platforms.
"I'm very interested in [P2P]," said Doug Pask, a senior technologist at Verizon, while speaking at a panel at Streaming Media West. "It's not a silver bullet, but it works well in high-volume environments and it has its place in the consumer world. A number of studies show that people don't use [file-sharing applications] because they want to steal content -- it's about getting what they want when they want it."
Pask's comments come just a few days after cable broadband provider Comcast admitted it made a practice of blocking peer-to-peer applications since 2005 -- although it has vowed to adopt a "protocol agnostic" approach to traffic management.
"I think, while some people want to stamp [file sharing] out, others see it as a reliable alternative for managing network costs," said Sam Farraj, an assistant vice president at AT&T.
*Photo: **Flickr/RocketRaccoon *
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