No, Cable TV is Not a Net Neutrality Violation

No, cable TV is not a network neutrality violation. Yet.

So I think it’s finally worth explaining the various reasons why cable TV, even when it’s carried on the same wire that also provides broadband, does not violate net neutrality.

It's not on the Internet.

Cable TV was there first. Yes, cable TV and broadband share the same wire. But it's not like bandwidth was taken away from the Internet to make room for TV. They are distinct services with a separate history.

Cable TV is separately regulated.

Cable TV meets the only reasonable definition of a "specialized service." The 2010 Open Internet rules had a broad exception for "specialized" or "managed" services.

Yet? It may be the case that someday soon, technology will improve to the point where one-to-many distribution does not offer a real advantage over one-to-one services. This may change the analysis for "same wire" services like cable TV. But we're not there yet.