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FCC's Martin wants Comcast to pay for P2P blocking
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin is planning on taking Comcast to the woodshed for violating FCC principles that guarantee consumers open access to the Internet. The nation's largest cable company is having its feet held to the fire for "arbitrarily" throttling P2P traffic and not telling consumers it was doing so, reports the Associated Press. And Martin wants the company to pay. He told the AP he'll recommend a fine to commissioner-to be voted on Aug. 1--and require Comcast to provide details of just how extensive its blocking was and what the company's future traffic management plans are.
"The commission has adopted a set of principles that protects consumers' access to the Internet," Martin said. "We found that Comcast's actions in this instance violated our principles."
Comcast told the AP it doesn't block content or services and that the "carefully limited measures that Comcast takes to manage traffic on its broadband network are a reasonable part" of the company's strategy to ensure all customers receive quality service. That's a bit of an about face from its statements last fall when it said it was "slowing down" some file transfers.
If the FCC follows through with a fine, it'll be the first time it's actually enforced open-access rules and could be a bellwether for the net-neutrality advocates--and a shot across the bow of all Internet providers who manage their network traffic (c'mon, you know who you are) by blocking or slowing big file transfers.
For more:
- See the AP story
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Verizon's not alone in its throttling Throttling report
Comcast and BitTorrent have said they are collaborating on solutions to throttling Comcast report
BitTorrent last month seemed to be following its own path toward solutions BitTorrent report
Bell Canada facing net neutrality fight after throttling
More stories about FCC Open Access Bell Canada Kevin Martin Comcast Net Neutrality Traffic Management
Comments
Posted by Robb Topolski | July 11, 2008 - 12:05pm
Comcast abused their power and the trust of Internet users.
When Comcast bought up large systems to become the largest Cable MSO, it did not buy the Internet. Comcast has no right to change how the Internet works -- not one byte of it.
How the world-wide Internet works is defined by all of us, through our participation and trust in the Internet Society and the Internet Engineering Task Force. To ensure interoperability and access for all, changes must be carefully deliberated and standardized there. The responsibility of operating the Internet in accordance with those standards is entrusted to companies providing access to it. It's not Comcast's job to change how the Internet works nor can it decide who or what gets preference upon it.
I haven't seen anything other than the press reports about something to be circulated around the FCC. I am hopeful that when the details are released that it serves to preserve and protect the Internet from those who would abuse their power and change it.
Comcast had several chances to come clean and to do right. It's important now that the FCC set this precedent to keep further abuses of power in check.
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