The third largest Internet provider has announced, earlier this week, its new plan for managing Internet traffic. Cox has split traffic into two categories, time-sensitive traffic and non-time sensitive. What this means is that during periods when the network is congested the time sensitive traffic, like loading web pages, instant messages, voice calls, email and gaming, will be the first priority, while non-sensitive traffic, file uploads, peer-to-peer and Usenet newsgroups, will have to wait until the network is not congested anymore. Cox will begin testing this new method of file management in Kansas and Arkansas markets during this month.

The new plan has been immediately criticized by many, who are claiming that Cox is in no position to say what the priorities of its customers are.

 It is almost impossible for a company to decide what is the best solution for every single one of its customers and when that company is an Internet provider, things can get even trickier. Discriminating some Internet applications shouldn’t be happening and critics are highlighting the importance of peer-to-peer applications, especially during presidential inauguration, when the online broadcast was distributed through peer-to-peer protocols.

Cox, on the other hand, is claiming that this new method is based on careful research on what are the most used applications its customers use, and based on this information the new traffic plan should work. All in all, it should be appreciated that Cox is trying to improve the quality of its services, by trying various new methods of keeping traffic under control.