By Martin H. Bosworth
ConsumerAffairs.com
August 21, 2008
In the wake of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ruling against Comcast for its blocking users' access to file-sharing services such as BitTorrent, the cable giant is rolling out plans for its new network management system--plans which involve throttling back and slowing service for heavy users for between 10 and 20 minutes.
The slower service would be equivalent to "a really good DSL experience," Comcast senior vice-president Mitch Bowling told Bloomberg News. The users would see their speeds return to normal after the congestion throttling was lifted.
DSL, which uses conventional phone lines for Internet access, is faster than dial-up, but considerably slower than the speeds promised by cable companies such as Comcast.
Comcast's plans were announced a day after the FCC published its formal order punishing Comcast for content blocking. The FCC voted 3-2 to penalize Comcast on August 1, with the majority saying that Comcast's practices violated FCC rules and would set a bad precedent for preventing innovation and choice on the Internet.
"We predict that prohibiting network operators from blocking or degrading consumer access to desirable content and applications on-line will result in increased consumer demand for high-speed Internet access and, therefore, increased deployment to meet that demand," the FCC said in its ruling. "Similarly, ensuring that consumers have unimpeded access to such content and applications will promote the availability of such content and applications. "
Comcast has emphasized its move to what it called a "protocol agnostic" system of managing its Internet traffic for several months, a method of polishing its image after being criticized for its content blocking by consumers, industry, and media alike. The new system is still being tested, spokespeople said, but could involve analyzing periods of high congestion and reducing the heaviest users' speeds, regardless of their overall usage history.
Comcast was outed in November 2007 as blocking transmissions of files between BitTorrent users by making it appear as if one user had dropped the connection, when in fact it was Comcast preventing the connection from taking place. Although Comcast claimed it only blocked high-bandwith-consuming users for short periods, further research found that both it and Cox Communications were blocking users at all times of the day, regardless of their actual bandwith consumption.
Even before it was caught blocking content, Comcast was criticized for canceling users' accounts if they violated an undisclosed "bandwith cap," meaning customers could be shut off without ever knowing how much bandwith they actually used.
Many Internet providers have been experimenting with "metered" or "pay-as-you-go" broadband access plans, which would charge users for going over set caps on their available bandwith. Consumer groups such as Free Press have criticized metered broadband plans as denying customers the ability to enjoy the benefits of high-speed Internet and rich content, which would drive them into the arms of competitors who still offered "all-you-can-eat" bandwith prices.
"Comcast has shown itself to be dishonest, so we have to be skeptical and vigilant," said Free Press' policy director Ben Scott. "Any move that doesn't involve illegally blocking consumers' access to the Internet is a positive step -- but we won't know for sure until we see the details."
