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Consumer Advocates Embrace FCC's Latest Comcast Inquiry
Comcast tells us they're still digesting the letter...

Yesterday we reported that the FCC was suddenly concerned about how Comcast's new network management system treats independent VoIP operators. As previously discussed, the new system temporarily de-prioritizes the traffic for customers who meet two criteria: they're on a congested node, and they have been using 70% or more of their assigned upstream or downstream throughput for more than fifteen minutes. However the FCC only just realized that these restrictions will only impact competing VoIP services -- not Comcast's own Digital Voice service.

An open Internet cannot tolerate arbitrary interference from Internet service providers.
-Free Press
Consumer advocates are giddy about the FCC's latest inquiry into Comcast's network management policies, the investigation into which began with a post in our forums back in May of 2007. Consumer group Free Press issued a statement saying the letter was a positive sign the FCC's Comcast investigation "was not a one-and-done action on Net Neutrality."

"An open Internet cannot tolerate arbitrary interference from Internet service providers," said Ben Scott, policy director for Free Press. "Congress and the FCC must close any legal loopholes that permit anti-competitive behavior to thrive."

The FCC letter to Comcast inquires why Comcast didn't mention the impact on competing VoIP in their initial filing with the FCC, going further to suggest that Comcast's Digital Voice service is technically a "telecommunications service" that should be regulated. The FCC previously declared that both telco and cable company broadband were "information services," thereby freed from considerable government regulation.

The FCC letter asks Comcast to provide "a detailed justification for Comcast's disparate treatment of its own VoIP service compared to that offered by other VoIP providers on its network." Comcast tells us they're still working on an official response. "We have fully complied with the FCC's order regarding our congestion management practices," Comcast spokesman Charlie Douglas tells us. "We are reviewing the FCC staff's letter."

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bzmeteorite
join:2006-02-15
San Luis Obispo, CA

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bzmeteorite

Member

I can see both sides here...

On one hand, the fact that CDV is on its own channel (as I understand from comments from the previous article) may make some inclined (FCC, et al.) to regulate it as a telco service. If Comcast started to put it's Digital Voice service inline with data (sharing the channel with internet), consumers and regulators would cry out and start lawsuits if their line became "de-prioritized" and they tried calling 911 and as a result of their de-prioritization, their 911 call dropped due to latency or packet loss.

Of course, they could prioritize all VoIP possible on the data channel, but what happens if a competitor uses a proprietary technology that prevents Comcast from identifying their voice service? Or when people or regulators start crying about the usage of DPI to identify VoIP? Net neutrality?

I just don't see a realistic middle ground without someone getting hurt in some way.