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Comcast To Take Blow From FCC Over Internet Restrictions and File Sharing


Due to Comcast’s tactics of restricting file sharing, P2P users, music and movie downloaders, Federal regulators (FCC) are stepping in and looking to take action against Internet service providers.

Internet provider and cable network Comcast has been receiving criticism for anonymously restricting Internet access from thousands and thousands of customers online that have been utilizing applications such as P2P, file sharing and also doing activities such as movie downloading. Due to Comcast’s tactics, Federal regulators are stepping in and looking to take action against Internet service providers such as Comcast that are restricting the customers and telling them what they can and cannot do online.

Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Kevin J. Martin stated on Friday that Comcast which is now the nation’s largest cable company should be sanctioned due to interfering with users Internet connections who are exchanging files with others online.

Martin who has served as a commissioner for the FCC since 2001, could be an important player in the battle over Net neutrality and due to him weighing in against the need for stronger network-neutrality. Everyone is behind him because Net neutrality is the guiding principle that preserves the free and open Internet and prevents Internet providers from speeding up or slowing down Web content based on its source, ownership or destination. Companies such as Google and free speech advocates are also looking to preserve an open Internet.

Comcast and other Internet service providers feel that they should be free to run their networks how they wish and argue that no such rules are needed and discrimination has not been a problem.

According to Comcast, the throttling approach was used to prevent slowing down the network by file-sharing users that use software such as BitTorrent which is used to trade music files, documents, software, videos and more.

If the plan goes accordingly and Martin’s recommendation is approved by the entire commission, Comcast will avoid being fined and will be forced to change its practices and will have to give the commission more details on how it ran its practices in the past.

Comcast argues that its approach is legitimate, and that the commission does not have the authority to impose any sanctions.

As previously reported on MemphisRap.com, according to Comcast’s spokesperson Sena Fitzmaurice she stated, “We believe that the network management technique we chose at the time was reasonable.” In addition she stated that Comcast was planning to change its approach for dealing with high usage such as slowing the connection of those moving large amount of data when the network is congested. As far as Martin’s recommendation, Fitzmaurice added that Comcast would have to review the order before deciding if they should appeal it if approved by the commission.

Some are believing that if this plan is approved, Comcast will find a way around it by changing it’s unlimited Internet services to a more restricted approach such as blocks of times, etc.

According to Martin, the commission wanted to protect legal activities, and those rules would not apply to an ISP that tries to block unauthorized transmission of copyrighted material or child pornography.

All in all, experts are believing that Comcast is just trying to compensate due to the limited capacity of its network since the infrastructure is in need of upgrading.

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