11:00 AM -- As I posted yesterday on Contentinople, I think the incumbent telcos are about to step up their battle against P2P traffic.

Some more detail: Sources say that Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) has issued an RFP for Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) technology. No word on the size or the timing yet -- though Light Reading will follow up. Who could win the deal? Leading contenders are likely to be Cisco Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: CSCO) and Ellacoya Networks Inc. , followed by longshots Allot Ltd. (Nasdaq: ALLT) and Sandvine Inc. .

This would be a big deal, because it would be the first sign of a large North American incumbent buying DPI equipment, which is used to manage different types of traffic on a network and theoretically "control" the amount and speed of the P2P traffic getting through.

Notably, Ellacoya this week announced a deal with BT Group plc (NYSE: BT; London: BTA). (See BT Picks Ellacoya). So it appears there is a developing trend of incumbent telcos becoming interesting in DPI.

Stay tuned while we gather more information.

— R. Scott Raynovich, Editor in Chief, Light Reading