SK Broadband, a South Korean Internet service provider, has demanded that Netflix must pay for costs from increased network traffic and maintenance work in a lawsuit filed last week, according to a report in Reuters. A spokesperson for the SK Broadband said that the lawsuit against the streaming giant is a result of Netflix using SK's dedicated line to deliver copious amounts of data-heavy, high-definition video content to viewers from servers in Japan and Hong Kong, the report added. The upsurge in data traffic has been attributed to shows like Squid Game and D.P., among others, which led to SK processing 1.2 trillion bits of data per second as of September, Reuters reported, adding that the increase cements Netflix’s status as South Korea’s second-largest data traffic generator after Google's YouTube. The lawsuit alleged that Netflix and Google are the only ones to not pay network usage fees whereas other content providers such as Amazon, Apple, and Facebook comply with the levy, the report stated. The demands being made by SK may renew the debate around the repealing of Net Neutrality laws. Net neutrality is the principle that ISPs should facilitate access to all content and applications regardless of the source, and without favouring or blocking particular products or websites. Netflix has had several agreements in place to boost its streaming speed, especially with Comcast in the US, since 2014 but if a favourable verdict is passed in this lawsuit, many more ISPs will look to charge content providers triggering a…
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South Korean internet service provider sues Netflix, reigniting debate on Net Neutrality
This lawsuit is a consequence of Netflix losing an earlier court battle in which it had accused SK Broadband of double billing.
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