Two big technology stories broke yesterday, demonstrating that a) Comcast is evil, but also b) it needs to be reined in by strict net neutrality regulations.
In the first story, we learned that Comcast is stifling innovation and restricting consumer access to new and potentially better devices by placing unreasonable conditions on Zoom cable modems--cable modems that compete with the modems Comcast rents to you, and makes a mint from. Zoom has filed a complaint with the FCC, arguing that Comcast is blocking the manufacture of competing modems, a practice that violates the Communications Act and the FCC's open Internet principles.
On the heels of that story breaking, the New York Times reported the second big story: Comcast is putting a "toll" on online video delivery:
Level 3 Communications, a central partner in the Netflix online movie service, accused Comcast on Monday of charging a new fee that puts Internet video companies at a competitive disadvantage.
Level 3, which helps to deliver Netflix’s streaming movies, said Comcast had effectively erected a tollbooth that “threatens the open Internet,” and indicated that it would seek government intervention. Comcast quickly denied that the clash had anything to do with network neutrality, instead calling it “a simple commercial dispute.”
Tim Karr has more:
These are just the latest domino in a history of abuse by a company determined to become the 21st century's media gatekeeper. If Comcast gets away with these violations, it will be the beginning of the end of the experiment in information democracy called the Internet. What more reason does the Federal Communications Commission need to step up -- for once -- and protect the openness that is central to a better, more participatory and diverse media....
Comcast's most recent abuses come just days before FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski is to announce a vote on new Net Neutrality rules.
If the FCC stays on the sidelines, Comcast will turn the Internet into cable TV. Its runaway abuse of media power will impact pretty much everything we do online.
The FCC has the power to rein in Comcast's abuses and protect the open Internet from these kinds of threats from all sides. Action on this could come as soon as the FCC's December 21st meeting.
In light of that, get involved. Sign this petition to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, and tell him to keep his--and President Obama's--promise on Net Neutrality.