FCC Asks Comcast About World Wide Web Filter

Comcast Corp. Monday said it has received letters of inquiry from the Federal Communications Commission regarding complaints that the company actively interferes with its subscribers’ Net traffic.

A coalition of consumer groups and legal scholars asked the agency in November to stop Comcast from discriminating against the sharing of convinced types of Net goods among subscribers.

Two groups additionally asked the FCC to fine the nation’s No. 2 Net provider $195,000 for every affected subscriber.

And Vuze Inc., a company that distributes video using BitTorrent file-sharing technology, later filed a separate complaint, asking the FCC to clarify how much potential Web service providers have in controlling traffic on their lines.

In an inspection last year, The Associated Press found that Comcast in some cases hindered file sharing by subscribers who used BitTorrent. The findings, first reported

Oct. 19, confirmed claims by users who additionally noticed interference with other file-sharing applications.

Comcast denies it blocks file sharing, but acknowledges milder interventions to improve the flow of traffic for the majority of its customers.

“We look forward to responding to the FCC inquiries regarding our broadband network management,” said David L. Cohen, an executive vice president at Comcast, in a statement.

“We believe our practices are in accordance with the FCC’s policy statement on the World Wide Web where the Commission clearly recognized that fair network management is essential for the good of all customers,” he added.

Peer-to-peer file sharing is a common way to illegally exchange copyright files. But many businesses plus are rushing toward it for legal distribution of video and game substance.

Orginal post by Top Tech News

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