Verizon Plans to speed up Peer to Peer

In a surprise move Verizon announces to make improvements to their network to make downloading through peer to peer networks faster in a time that competitors such as Comcast and Time Warner are inhibiting P2P network traffic to appease the Recording industry and the movie studios. This is a move that could be seen as risky by Verizon as a way to sway customers away from competing broadband providers which Verizon could face billion lawsuits from the giant media corporations.

Verizon does have a history of standing up to the recording industry on behalf of their customers. Several years ago when the RIAA started suing end users of peer to peer networks, ISP's were required to turn over the names of P2P networks even without a court order. Verizon refused to turn over the names of their customers. The RIAA took Verizon to court and Verizon stated that the RIAA didn't have substancial proof just circumstancial evidence that Verizon's Internet subscribers committed illegal acts of copyright infringement.

When ISP's defend their customers' rights to use the Internet as they feel, they'll have more customers to defend.