If you thought Comcast looked ridiculous trying to explain why they had to hire people to applaud for them at last week’s hearing in Cambridge, you should see the things its lawyers are telling the FCC.

When it’s not misconstruing the claims of their critics, Comcast is peddling technical-sounding nonsense that’s mostly irrelevant or invalid. We’ll save you the aggravation of actually reading it. Here’s the bottom line: Comcast is blocking the Internet and claiming the FCC can’t do anything about it.

On Thursday — while Comcast was trying to contain a PR disaster — Free Press and members of the SavetheInternet.com Coalition filed “reply comments” with the FCC about blocking by Comcast and other Internet service providers.

You can read the full comments here.

Here’s a summary of the arguments (thanks to Marvin Ammori and Adam Lynn):

• We clarify that we do not oppose all network management. Many methods exist that do not violate the principles of Net Neutrality — traffic control doesn’t have to include discriminatory targeting.
• We point out that Comcast has completely reversed its position on delaying Internet traffic from stating its opposition to the practice in 2006 to supporting and implementing the practice in 2008.

Here’s the congressional testimony of Comcast Executive Vice President David L. Cohen in 2006: “If Comcast were to try to deny, delay, or degrade the Internet experience that our more than nine million cable Internet customers have paid for, how can we possibly expect to keep them as customers…Any provider that does not meet the needs of users will suffer from a serious backlash from consumers and policymakers.”

Here’s what Cohen said last Monday: “Comcast may on a limited basis temporarily delay certain P2P traffic.”

• We argue that upgrading the network is the only network management option that serves consumers and our economy and also follows the mandates of Congress and the FCC. Further, we explain how these network upgrades are badly needed to catch up to our international counterparts.
• We refute claims that the “market” is providing an adequate check on Comcast or any other provider. Most communities in America have just one cable company and one phone company to choose from.
• We detail the ways that Comcast has abused its power and misled Internet customers, consumer groups and the press repeatedly about its deceptive and discriminatory network management practices.
• We reject the argument that the FCC lacks jurisdiction to deal with the issue of blocking. The FCC, the Supreme Court, the White House and many industry players have all recognized the FCC’s clear authority over this matter.

You can read it all for yourself here >>

This entry was posted on Saturday, March 1st, 2008 at 4:03 pm and is filed under Uncategorized.-->