Time Warner Cable Threatened With Net Neutrality Complaint

Web hosting company Commercial Network Services says it plans to file a peering complaint against Time Warner Cable under the Federal Communications Commission's new network neutrality rules unless the company strikes a free peering deal as soon as possible. TWC says its interconnection policy is just and reasonable and is confident the FCC would reject any complaint based on the idea that "every edge provider around the globe is entitled to enter into a settlement-free peering arrangement." In the complaint, according to CNS CEO Barry Bahrami, CNS plans to ask 1) that TWC be ordered to strike a settlement-free deal and 2) that other broadband Internet service providers using any public exchanges be required to adopt an "open peering" policy.

In its new rules, which took effect June 12, the FCC created a case-by-case complaint process for interconnection issues alleged to impede an open Internet. It is the first time that peering/interconnection deals have fallen under the FCC's net neutrality rules since having been reclassified under Title II common carrier regulations. Some cable operators were looking for Cogent or Level 3 or Netflix to complain, but whoever it was, they were expecting complaints from those not eager to pay for interconnections. Since there is no bright-line rule on what is a reasonable interconnection agreement, cable operators won't know exactly what the FCC considers impeding an open Internet until the FCC has investigated and acted on such complaints, though TWC sounded confident this complaint was meritless.