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Comment by tombert | Hacker News Reader

I noticed with MetroPCS, when I download a Youtube video offline, it's very slow. However, if I turn on my Private Internet Access VPN, it's fast. This has been going on for at least two years; well before net neutrality was destroyed.

I'm no expert in this, but I feel that that's a relatively definitive proof that they're throttling it.

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MetroPCS is T-Mobile under different branding. T-Mobile is fairly open about their throttling practices (you have to purchase their "ONE Plus" plan to have un-throttled video), but MetroPCS puts it in their rather long "Network Disclosure"[0]: "All current MetroPCS plans include video optimization features that are always enabled, which, when connected to the cellular network, deliver a DVD quality (typically 480p) video experience at up to 1.5 Mbps with minimal buffering while streaming ("Data Maximizer"). Customers may, for an additional charge, add on a native resolution video feature, disabling optimization for their device. Some qualifying video providers may choose to self-optimize their video content or opt-out of the Data Maximizer program."

[0]: https://www.metropcs.com/terms-conditions/network-disclosure...

> Customers may, for an additional charge, add on a native resolution video feature, disabling optimization

That's such beautiful double think. We have this amazing feature for you, and for just a small charge you may turn it off.

Wireless carriers had exemptions from Net Neutrality. The basis was that bandwidth was much more limited and they needed more flexibility to manage it.

Not where I live, net neutrality applies to T-mobile too. Throttling on purpose is illegal.

It is very hard to tell the difference between throttling and congestion with that kind of example.

Why is it hard to tell between throttling and congestion? Maybe my understanding is wrong but they are still sending the same amount of data. But when it's encrypted traffic from the VPN the ISP can't sniff and throttle.

throttling and congestion both drop packets in a TCP stream, which signals the sender to slow down it's sending rate. congestion means that the packets are lost because they can't be pushed through a networking device (because the output port is busy and there isn't enough buffer, for example if the peering link between an ISP and a busy content provider is at maximum capacity); throttling means there is enough buffer, but the networking device is programmed with a policy to drop packets from certain streams (for example, those with an IP address originating from a content provider)

A VPN circumvents congestion or throttling not by virtue of being encrypted but by having a different source IP or traversing a different route & different network ports/links from other packets going to the high bandwidth use content provider(s)

Data transmitted using a VPN goes through a different route that might not be congested.

The same amount of data, but not by the same route.

If at the peering point my ISP has two 1000mbps connections to Youtube and limits them both to 50% speed, that's "throttling". If they set one to full speed and unplug the other, that's "congestion".

From a customer's perspective, the symptoms - slow Youtube videos - are indistinguishable.

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