Exactly. Verizon can try to spin this as "Netflix is pushing this traffic on us through inferior intermediate links," but what's really happening is that Verizon's customers are requesting the traffic. The standard response when one of their border links is congested is to work with the peer to upgrade it. Level3 is willing to do so. Verizon would rather try to squeeze money out of Netflix for an unnecessary "direct link". Hopefully people see through this PR.

Yep this is exactly the fast lane that we don't want. The lane is not any faster, just less traffic, says Verizon--really, that seems like a fast lane to me.

Since Verizon is eliminating so much traffic, those FIOS links are free for downloading all kinds of content their customers don't want.