Martin be damned, cable ISPs want network management freedom

[Commentary] "In the absence of network management, the usage of P2P services by a very small number of a cable system's high-speed Internet customers can cause substantial (and sometimes complete) congestion of the system's upload capacity," cable industry reps told Federal Communications Commissioners earlier this month. It's going to be Very Bad, Schooler and Willner warned, if "network management" is denied its unobstructed due. E-mail, Web browsing, online commerce, video and music will be degraded, they promised. And don't look to network upgrades to solve the problem. They'll only make the situation worse, "because P2P users around the world seek to retrieve files from computers on systems with the fastest upload speeds." Protecting the Internet from said vampires requires not only network management, but network management unsupervised by governments. "Regulatory efforts to restrict or predetermine the tools and technology to be used for network management would thwart investment in network upgrades," the duo insisted, "slow the rate of growth of high-speed Internet customers, and seriously disrupt and degrade the value of the Internet for all users." The Commission must stick to its "successful policy" of "vigilant restraint," and "not embark on such a misguided regulatory path." The President and a Vice President of Cox Communications and Cox Enterprises also met with Commissioner Adelstein to review the network management docket. They stressed "the important issue of Internet safety and Cox's efforts to provide customers and parents with the appropriate tools to enjoy a rewarding and safe Internet experience." Anybody who thinks these guys will roll over and play dead because Kevin Martin and the agency's two Democrats enforce its principles against Comcast is in for a letdown. A Commission Order won't finish this.