Comcast to Modify Disputed Network Practices

WASHINGTON(Reuters) – Cable operator Comcast Corp promised on Thursday to changehow it manages its network in response to accusations it blocks someInternet file-sharing services because they require large amounts ofbandwidth.

But Comcast’s move did not go far enough to satisfy the top U.S.communications regulator. Kevin Martin, chairman of the FederalCommunications Commission, vowed to continue investigating themanagement practices of broadband providers and whether theydiscriminate against certain applications.

Comcast, which has more than 13 million broadband subscribers, saidit would adopt a new technique for managing capacity on its network bythe end of 2008. The new practice will not discriminate among differentapplications.

The cable giant has been accused by consumer groups of blocking somefile-sharing services, such as BitTorrent, that distribute TV shows andmovies on the Internet.

"This means that we will have to rapidly reconfigure our networkmanagement systems, but the outcome will be a traffic managementtechnique that is more appropriate for today’s emerging Internettrends," Comcast Chief Technology Officer Tony Werner said in astatement.

Comcast said it planned a "collaborative effort" with BitTorrent andthe broader Internet and ISP community to work out a growing disputeover how far Internet service providers should go in managing trafficmoving over their networks.

The dispute over so-called "net neutrality" pits open- Internetadvocates against some service providers such as Comcast, which saythey need to take reasonable steps to manage growing traffic on theirnetworks.

The FCC has been investigating complaints from consumer groups thatComcast blocked some file-sharing services. The issue also hasattracted scrutiny from lawmakers in Congress.

Comcast has denied impairing any Internet applications and has saidit merely manages the system for the good of all users. But the FCC’sMartin said at a March 7 FCC hearing he was disturbed Comcast did notdisclose more to customers and application developers about the way itmanages network traffic.

Comcast’s announcement on Thursday drew a tepid response from Martin.

The FCC chairman said in a statement he was "pleased that Comcasthas reversed course." But he questioned why the company was not movingmore quickly to end the practice of blocking some applications.

"While it may take time to implement its preferred new trafficmanagement technique, it is not at all obvious why Comcast couldn’tstop its current practice of arbitrarily blocking its broadbandcustomers from using certain applications," Martin said.

The FCC is scheduled to hold another hearing on the issue atStanford University next month, where Martin said the commissionerswould "explore more fully what constitutes reasonable networkmanagement practices."

Martin’s two fellow Republicans on the five-member commission weremore upbeat about the Comcast move, saying a cooperative approach waspreferable to government regulation.

"The private sector is the best forum to resolve such disputes," said commissioner Robert McDowell.

But Democratic FCC commissioner Michael Copps agreed with Martin,saying the FCC should continue to pursue the issue. He said Comcast’sconcessions would not have come without pressure from the FCC.

"I am confident that, through this process, the FCC can come up withclear rules of the road that will benefit American consumers andprovide much-needed certainty to both network operators and Internetentrepreneurs," Copps said in a statement.

(Reporting by Peter Kaplan; Editing by Brian Moss/Andre Grenon)