The Federal Communications Commission convened at Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Mass., Monday for a public hearing on allegations that Comcast improperly throttled the peer-to-peer application BitTorrent.

In opening remarks the commissioners plus signaled they would look at a broader range of alleged wrongdoing, including a case where Verizon blocked a pro-choice group’s text note. Two Democratic commissioners called for additional policies protecting network neutrality.

Chairman Kevin Martin focused the meeting on the FCC’s four World Wide Web policy principles:

– Consumers are entitled to access the lawful World Wide Web subject matter of their choice.

– Consumers are entitled to use applications and services of their choice, subject to the needs of law enforcement.

– Consumers are entitled to connect legal devices, so enlarged as they don’t harm the network.

A
– Competition among providers needs to be protected.

All these principles are “subject to fair network performance.”

What’s ‘reasonable’?

“The question is, ‘What are fair network practices?’” Martin said. He

emphasized that the principles require network providers to be “open and transparent” to consumers in terms of fees, practices and services. The purpose of the hearing, he said, is to “hear from both sides publicly.”

And the chairman warned: “The commission is ready, willing and able to step in whether essential.”

After the commissioners’ opening remarks, the hearing was to feature two panels of legal and technology experts, as well as consumer organizations and industry executives.

Comcast on Trial?

A session focusing on policy issues expected representatives from Comcast and Verizon, several law professors and the general counsel for Free Press, one of the organizations that filed a petition with the FCC challenging Comcast’s actions.

Speaking to the media last week, Columbia University law professor Timothy Wu, who will speak on the policy panel, said, “What we’re going to see on Monday is a trial of the World Wide Web. “Comcast is in the docket, accused…

Orginal post by Top Tech News