Martin Says FCC Will Investigate Comcast Blocking
January 8th, 2008 by lerskineFCC Chairman Kevin Martin today announced his intention to investigate blocking of peer-to-peer file-sharing services by Comcast and other Internet service providers. “Sure, we’re going to investigate and make sure that no consumer is going to be blocked…I tell the staff that they should act on all of those complaints and investigate all of them,” said Martin. But will the FCC Chairman keep his word?
“We hope the Chairman’s statements, made two months after we filed our complaint, will lead to immediate and accelerated action at the FCC on the critical issue of whether Comcast, AT&T and other Internet service providers can block the services people want to use,” said Marvin Ammori, general counsel of Free Press.
In October, an Associated Press exposé found that Comcast was secretly interfering with user access. This was later confirmed by an EFF report. In response, members of the SavetheInternet.com Coalition filed a petition with the FCC calling upon the agency to take action against such net neutrality violations. In an accompanying complaint, Free Press and Public Knowledge asked the FCC to fine Comcast $195,000 for every affected subscriber.
In another petition filed in December, members of the SavetheInternet.com Coalition protested Verizon Wireless’s refusal to send text messages from NARAL Pro-Choice America. (Verizon later reversed its policy after a New York Times expose generated public outrage). The petition — filed by Public Knowledge, Free Press, U.S. PIRG, Media Access Project, Consumers Union and the New America Foundation — urged the FCC to prohibit cell phone companies from blocking or interfering with text messages sent over their networks. It also stated that cell phone companies should treat text messaging like spoken phone conversations — delivering all information to their customers without censorship.
January 16th, 2008 at 10:44 am
LA times used to have unhindered access now anytime it is slow to load.l It is likethe site is filtered by comcast. They discriminate between switch and router users. They wont issue new ips like they used to.
March 16th, 2008 at 1:09 am
[…] and found that, yes indeed Comcast was sending falsified RST packets. You can read more about it here. So they changed their story…slightly. Recently in Boston there was a public hearing with FCC […]