Karen Rustad wrote:
> 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 <
driscollkevin <at> gmail.com>
> 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.
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