Carriers must manage networks to deal with congestion, said James...

applications are the biggest bandwidth eaters, he said. Google, Microsoft and other net neutrality law proponents want to turn carrier networks into “dumb pipes,” he said. But carriers must manage because they “cannot afford to be all things to all people,” he said. Alternatives to traffic prioritization -- such as charging for bandwidth used -- could be tricky to implement, Hansen said. “We really don’t have the billing system in place… to handle usage-based billing.” Even if it did, “we also know from experience” that such a system would confuse users, who frequently argue individual charges, he said. A better idea might be a “hybrid” approach, with users paying a flat rate with “certain add-ons for peak volume that goes beyond what we deem normal usage,” he said. “That is going to require some systems work, but I think that is what our customer base will live with and accept.” Hansen urged carriers to partner with vendors to get social media and other attractive applications on their networks, Hansen said. Carriers like Embarq are good at building network bandwidth but struggle to make applications that win customers, he said. “Partnering is the way we're going to have to have this occur… Technology is sexy, but at the end you must have a satisfied customer.”