Comcast has laid out its views on whether the FCC should further delineate the kinds of network management practices that should apply to third party applications, particularly P2P protocols, running over broadband networks. In a wide-ranging, 80-page filing at the Commission (PDF here), Comcast defends its practice of slowing down P2P uploads saying that the "limited measures that Comcast takes to manage its network...are a reasonable part of Comcast's strategy to ensure a high-quality, reliable Internet experience for all Comcast High-Speed Internet customers," instead of a "vocal minority" that complain about P2P filtering.
Saying that it doesn't want the FCC to be drawn into "second-guessing the reasonable network management decisions that engineers" make every day, Comcast, not unsurprisingly, asks the agency to reject the notion that it spell out the precise nature of network management that it is allowed to implement.
What's really, really interesting, however, is that Comcast says that the free press, and in particular the blogosphere, will serve as some kind of market policing mechanism that prevents the company from stepping over the line. In its filing, Comcast writes:
The self-policing marketplace and blogosphere, combined with vigilant scrutiny from policymakers, provides an ample check on the reasonableness of such [network management] judgments.
I can't even hazard a guess about the efficacy of relying on a squawky blogosphere to rein in bad corporate behavior (although one could argue that Comcast is in hot water over its P2P policies precisely because the blogosphere fueled rampant criticism of the company). But you have to admit that it's kind of cool that Comcast thinks bloggers hold tremendous power.
The FCC, in the meantime, will hold a field hearing (PDF here) in Cambridge, MA on February 26 to air the issue of broadband network management practices, the agency announced yesterday, the same day that Representative Ed Markey (D-MA) finally unveiled his promised network neutrality bill (PDF here, thanks to Art Brodsky of Public Knowledge).
Cynthia Brumfield at 10:33 AM|Comments(3)
It's really not that hard. Upgrade your network to meet the new capacity demands. It really is kind of crazy to see these huge companies make decisions that seem so backwards and bad for customers.
Honestly, if you make your service better, your customers are happier and you more than likely will gain more. The way that they are going about their capacity issues is wrong and shows how little they respect or value their customers.
Posted by: Shad Price at February 14, 2008 8:59 AM
Considering the only action taken after the entire U.S. press essentially called them a liar (block vs. impede, etc.) was to change their TOS in order to protect their legal posterior, yes...I'm sure they believe that the press will police them....
All I know is that the attorney who wrote that defense deserves a cookie. There's some true gems in there.
"One would not claim that the car is "blocked" or 'prevented' from entering the freeway," insists Comcast in their 80-page defense. "Rather, it is briefly delayed, then permitted onto the freeway in its turn while all other traffic is kept moving as expeditiously as possible."
I mean that is true mastery of the BS arts.
Posted by: Karl at February 13, 2008 2:57 PM
It sounds like they are trying to have their cake and eat it too. They don't want to listen to the "vocal minority" of their customers, but at the same time think that they'll be able to use blogs to keep them honest. After all of Comcast's problems, you'll forgive me if I'm skeptical. This issue is really about Comcast not wanting to spend the money to upgrade to a fiber network. When broadband first came out, Comcast used P2P as a reason to get people to switch from dial up. Now that it's p2p has developed critical mass, they don't want to have to pay for that traffic. Verizon won't filter bit torrent because they don't face the same constraints that the legacy cable operators do. Over the last few years, they've spent a ton of money upgrading their infrastructure and will be more than happy to take Comcast's customers, if they don't want to support how people use the web. Comcast may try to argue that its up to bloggers to keep them honest, but I think competition will be a better motivation.
Posted by: Davis Freeberg at February 13, 2008 11:24 AM
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