Comcast Adjusts Way It Manages Internet Traffic

COMCAST ADJUSTS WAY IT MANAGES INTERNET TRAFFIC
Comcast, the country’s largest residential Internet and cable television provider, said that it would take a more equitable approach toward managing the ever-expanding flow of Web traffic on its network. The company has been under pressure from the Federal Communications Commission and public interest groups after media reports last year that it was blocking some Internet traffic of customers who used online software based on the popular peer-to-peer BitTorrent protocol. Comcast said it would change its fundamental approach to playing Internet traffic cop. Instead of interfering with specific online applications, it will manage traffic by slowing the Internet speeds of its most bandwidth-hogging users when traffic is busiest. The change was part of an announcement by Comcast on Thursday that it had been working with BitTorrent, a company that was co-founded by the creator of the BitTorrent protocol. The start-up, based in San Francisco and supported by venture capital, helps media companies deliver their files over the Internet using BitTorrent technology. Consumers also use the protocol to share large files like movies. The companies said they have been working together for the last year on ways to optimize BitTorrent applications for the Comcast network. They said they would publish their findings to Web forums and standards groups so that other software makers, peer-to-peer services and I.S.P.’s could adopt them. Marvin Ammori, general counsel at Free Press, urged the FCC to continue pursuing the matter. “The only reason Comcast came to the table and made a deal with BitTorrent is because of the unrelenting pressure,” he said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/28/technology/28comcast.html
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Reaction from the FCC

* Chairman Martin: "I am pleased that Comcast has reversed course and agreed that it is not a reasonable network management practice to arbitrarily block certain applications on its network.... I am concerned, though, that Comcast has not made clear when they will stop this discriminatory practice. It appears this practice will continue throughout the country until the end of the year and in some markets, even longer. While it may take time to implement its preferred new traffic management technique, it is not at all obvious why Comcast couldn't stop its current practice of arbitrarily blocking its broadband customers from using certain applications. Comcast should provide its broadband customers as well as the Commission with a commitment of a date certain by when it will stop this practice."
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-281165A1.doc

* Commissioner Copps: "Today's announcement confirms my belief that the FCC needs to play a proactive role in preserving the Internet as a vibrant place for democratic values, innovation and economic growth. If it had not been for the FCC's attention to this issue earlier this year, we would not be having the conversation that we are having now among network operators, edge content providers, consumers and government about the best way to implement reasonable network management."
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-281158A1.doc

* Commission Adelstein: "We will need to learn more details about the recent agreement between BitTorrent and Comcast, but it is encouraging that broadband providers are listening to the chorus of consumer calls for open and neutral broadband Internet access."
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-281159A1.doc

* Commissioner Tate: "I have consistently favored competition and market forces rather than government regulation across all platforms and especially in this dynamic, highly-technical marketplace.... I look forward to even more collaborative, industry-based solutions, which are often the most effective and efficient means of resolving complex, technical network disputes."
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-281154A1.doc

* Commissioner McDowell: "As I have said for a long time, it is precisely this kind of private sector solution that has been the bedrock of Internet governance since its inception. Government mandates cannot possibly contemplate the myriad complexities and nuances of the Internet market place. The private sector is the best forum to resolve such disputes. Today's announcement obviates the need for any further government intrusion into this matter."
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-281153A1.doc