BitTorrent Makes P2P Throttling by ISPs Unnecessary

The new uTorrent 2.0 is using a new BitTorrent protocol designed to make it aware of network clogging

BitTorrent has irreversibly changed the way we perceive the sharing or distribution of digital content. Most of the p2p applications out there have behind them the BitTorrent technology whose benefits some in the gaming industry (but also other domains) have started to use, hopefully inspiring other industries as well.

The beef between ISPs and advocates of net neutrality was generously fed – on one hand, the former claimed that people using p2p clients are slowing down the networks – Comcast was one of the companies that had a ‘special’ policy against BitTorrent traffic which it later admitted to having throttled; on the other hand users revolted against this discrimination and BitTorrent inventor Bram Cohen tried to persuade ISPs to find a middle way, something to please both sides.

Well, that ‘middle way’, the happy solution might be here after all and all thanks to uTP.

What is uTP? It’s a new, and according to Simon Morris, BitTorrent’s VP of Product Management, better method to implement the BitTorrent protocol, specially designed to tackle the network congestion issue. While the current system is often ‘responsible’ for clogging the network by interfering with other applications, uTP is capable of making the uTorrent client network friendly forcing it to limit itself when it detects network congestion and spare ISPs of the effort.

“If uTP is successful it should result in a multi-billion dollar windfall in terms of savings for ISPs,” TorrentFreak quotes Morris.

From the uTorrent forum:

uTP is an alternative communication method for BitTorrent traffic that allows the client to automatically regulate its bandwidth usage to avoid adversely impacting your internet connection. This will allow you or other users on the network to download their torrents but still allow others on the network to function with little difference. This does not require any additional setup.
In addition, uTP in this version has added its own form of STUN, a method of getting incoming connections without direct connectivity to the Internet. This allows µTorrent to punch holes through routers and firewalls to increase connectivity and improve speeds. It is even possible to connect two firewalled peers through uTP's NAT traversal feature.

We’re looking forward to seeing the feedback – right now countless users are giving it a try by using the new version of uTorrent 2.0 (download it here) – and we’re pretty curios what will the ISPs say about the BitTorrent’s new ability.