FCC set to punish Comcast over Internet blocking
More bad news for Comcast and its ongoing problems with the Federal Communications Commission.
Earlier this month, FCC chief Kevin Martin said he would urge other commissioners to punish the nation’s largest cable company over allegations that it blocked some Internet traffic.
According to an Associated Press story, it looks like the other commissioners (or at least the two required to take action) agreed with Martin, though an official announcement is not expected until Friday, Aug. 1.
The text of the order is not public. But Martin has said it will not include a fine. He also said it will 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 decision promises to rile network providers like Comcast, who have sought more power in regulating traffic, though they call it network management. They complain that certain users and services - particularly those involving the sharing of large video and music files - eat up bandwidth and degrade service for everyone else.
Comcast spokeswoman Sena Fitzmaurice in a statement released Friday night said the company’s network management practices are “reasonable, wholly consistent with industry practices and that we did not block access to Web sites or online applications, including peer-to-peer services.”
Net neutrality advocates, on the other hand, will see a Comcast defeat as a strong statement for the future of the Internet. Among them is Free Press, one the organization that petitioned the FCC for a ruling.
Marvin Ammori, the group’s general counsel, applauded the news this weekend:
“Comcast’s blocking is a flagrant violation of the online rights established by the FCC. If adopted, this order would send a strong signal to the marketplace that arbitrarily interfering with users’ online choices is not acceptable. Internet service providers do not get to decide the winners and losers online”
Tim has covered a wide range of topics, including tourism, crime, aviation and gambling, since becoming a reporter in 1990. The Oklahoma native joined the Post-Dispatch in 2007 after spending nine years in Orlando. In his spare time, he's often exploring one virtual world or another. He can be reached at tbarker@post-dispatch.com. 
It looks like there may be some progress here. Although punishment of Comcast is but one hurdle in the continuing battle to make the internet more accessible to all Americans.