BitTorrent Inc. is preparing to launch a redesigned implementation of the BitTorrent protocol that could benefit both ISPs and users. Internet providers have long been interested in having a tighter grasp on bandwidth consumption, so heavy users of P2P networks are a natural enemy. Many providers throttle BitTorrent connections by arguing that they affect the speed of other traffic.
Recognizing this, BitTorrent Inc. has been working on a solution that should please both the throttlers and the throttlees. BitTorrent 2.0 – or "uTP" – supposedly senses congestion by calculating the time it takes for packets to reach their destination. If a major delay is detected, the protocol automatically adjusts upload or download speeds.
This new feature is present in uTorrent v2.0 beta, and according to BitTorrent VP of product management Simon Morris, a couple hundred thousand people are already using the client. Would you be ok with running a uTP-enabled torrent client, and do you think this will get service providers off the backs of heavy downloaders?