Comcast supports ban on paid prioritization—with an exception

Comcast would support a ban on paid prioritization as long as there is an exception for "specialized services" that benefit consumers, said Comcast senior executive VP David Cohen. Cohen's suggestion of a paid-prioritization ban with an exception for specialized services is similar to an early version of network neutrality rules that was passed in 2010 but thrown out in court in 2014. (The Federal Communications Commission was able to impose stricter net neutrality rules in 2015; that's the set of rules that is being thrown out by the current FCC.) Cohen didn't say exactly what types of future services should be covered by an exemption for specialized services. But the services may come along soon enough, he said.

Comcast hasn't implemented paid prioritization yet and has said it has no plans to do so. But the deleting of the "no paid prioritization" statement from its website could help Comcast charge for prioritization without facing punishment from the Federal Trade Commission, which can take action against companies that break promises to consumers. Comcast has previously said that paid prioritization should not be banned entirely but that there should be limits on "anti-competitive paid prioritization.