Cable Operators Eye Net Management Makeovers

Cable-company engineers and lawyers are huddling to determine whether to change the way they treat Internet traffic that traverses their pipes. Virtually all large operators are re-examining their broadband network management practices, according to industry executives, after the Federal Communications Commission formally declared Comcast's practice of tearing down P2P links "unreasonable." The FCC's Aug. 20 order directed Comcast to stop interfering with peer-to-peer Internet applications, and gave the company a 30-day deadline to submit a compliance plan describing how it intends to end the practice. The order does not impose any fines or damages. Comcast has said it's evaluating its options, but at the same time continues to test out three different bandwidth-management platforms in three of its markets -- Chambersburg (PA), Warrenton (VA), and Colorado Springs (CO) -- to find the optimal way of curbing network congestion. Behind the scenes, the entire cable industry is busy figuring out how to adapt to the FCC's ruling, said Randy Fuller, vice president business development for Camiant, which sells equipment for applying policies to cable modem termination systems.