Netflix has agreed to a paid interconnection deal with Time Warner Cable (TWC), one of the first ISPs to cry foul over Netflix's attempt to gain direct access to broadband networks without payment.

TWC complained about Netflix's Open Connect content delivery network (CDN) back in January 2013, saying the online video company was "seeking unprecedented preferential treatment from ISPs."

Netflix at the time was making its highest-quality streams available only to ISPs who agreed to connect directly to the Netflix CDN. Netflix later stopped its policy of withholding "Super HD" and 3D video from ISPs who didn't cooperate, but was able to get free connections from the likes of Cablevision, Virgin Media, British Telecom, RCN, and Google Fiber. By building its own CDN, Netflix was able to avoid paying third-party CDN providers to distribute its traffic, but some ISPs demanded payment. Failed negotiations resulted in traffic being sent through congested links and poor quality for customers for months on end.

GigaOm reported on the Netflix/TWC deal today, publishing traceroutes showing that Netflix and TWC are exchanging traffic directly. The companies confirmed the deal.

"Time Warner Cable reached an agreement with Netflix in June, and we began the interconnection between our networks this month," a TWC spokesperson told Ars.

TWC joins Comcast, AT&T, and Verizon in successfully gaining interconnection payments from Netflix.

Netflix indicated that this may be the last deal it will have to make in the US.

"Just a handful of US ISPs have required these access tolls, with Time Warner being the last of the four," a Netflix spokesperson told Ars.

Netflix has asked the FCC to ban such payments. The commission is examining the paid peering deals but hasn't promised any action.