As someone who has been a Comcast customer-by-default since graduation, all I can say is YAAAAYYYYYYYY!
I really hope they get smacked into next week. -- Karen On Fri, Jul 11, 2008 at 10:11 AM, Kevin Driscoll <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > The title says it all. > > "Martin will circulate an order recommending enforcement action > against the company on Friday among his fellow commissioners, who will > vote on the measure at an open meeting on Aug. 1." > > Kevin > > -- > > http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080711/ap_on_hi_te/internet_regulation > Identica > > > FCC chief says Comcast violated Internet rules > > By JOHN DUNBAR, Associated Press Writer 2 hours, 4 minutes ago > > WASHINGTON - The head of the Federal Communications Commission said > Thursday he will recommend that the nation's largest cable company be > punished for violating agency principles that guarantee customers open > access to the Internet. > ADVERTISEMENT > > The potentially precedent-setting move stems from a complaint against > Comcast Corp. that the company had blocked Internet traffic among > users of a certain type of "file sharing" software that allows them to > exchange large amounts of data. > > "The commission has adopted a set of principles that protects > consumers access to the Internet," FCC Chairman Kevin Martin told The > Associated Press late Thursday. "We found that Comcast's actions in > this instance violated our principles." > > Martin said Comcast has "arbitrarily" blocked Internet access, > regardless of the level of traffic, and failed to disclose to > consumers that it was doing so. > > Company spokeswoman Sena Fitzmaurice on Thursday denied that Comcast > blocks Internet 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. > > Martin will circulate an order recommending enforcement action against > the company on Friday among his fellow commissioners, who will vote on > the measure at an open meeting on Aug. 1. > > The action was in response to a complaint filed by Free Press and > Public Knowledge, nonprofit groups that advocate for "network > neutrality," the idea that all Internet content should be treated > equally. > > Martin's order would require Comcast to stop its practice of blocking; > provide details to the commission on the extent and manner in which > the practice has been used; and to disclose to consumers details on > future plans for managing its network going forward. > > The FCC approved a policy statement in September 2005 that outlined a > set of principles meant to ensure that broadband networks are "widely > deployed, open, affordable and accessible to all consumers." > > The principles, however, are "subject to reasonable network management." > > Comcast argues that the agency's policy statement is not enforceable > and that the commission has "never before provided any guidance on > what it means by 'reasonable network management.'" > > If a majority of commissioners side with Martin, it will be the first > test of the agency's network neutrality principles. Members of both > the House and Senate have sponsored network neutrality bills, but they > have never come close to becoming law. > > Large Internet service providers have fought against such regulation, > arguing that it is a solution in search of a problem and that > companies that spend billions on their networks must be free to manage > traffic. > > Ben Scott, federal policy chief for Free Press said Thursday night the > FCC's action may have consequences for other Internet providers going > forward. > > "This is going to be a bellwether," he said. > > Martin, a Republican, will likely get support from the two Democrats > on the commission, who are both proponents of the network neutrality > concept. Those three votes would be enough for a majority on the > five-member commission. > _______________________________________________ > Discuss mailing list > [email protected] > http://freeculture.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/discuss >
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