• telcos

    Comcast backs away from 20-minute delay

    A Comcast spokesman contacted an IDG reporter whose report bubbled up to the New York Times today: "Comcast has made no final decisions on how to manage network congestion, despite news reports Wednesday that it will slow traffic for heavy users for up to 20 minutes during times of peak network use." More likely, said the spokesman, the heaviest network traffic users will be slowed for a minute or two at a time whenever parts of Comcast's network get congested. Comcast has been forbidden by the FCC from blocking applications such as BitTorrent outright. But stupid quote of the day comes from the guy at Public Knowledge: "If there was competition, could you slow down your best customers?" No, you could charge them more. (Chart by the Max Planck Institute for Software Systems)
    08/21/08
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    Comment by artbrodsky: And why, pray tell, is it a "stupid quote" to say that Comcast is taking advantage of what is, at... more » | Other threads

  • unintended consequences

    How the FCC killed BitTorrent's promising business

    When Comcast was caught blocking file sharing on its network, the Federal Communications Commission seemed to strike a blow in favor of peer-to-peer startups everywhere by fining the cable company. Observers assumed that the FCC decision would open the field for file sharing to turn into a legitimate business. But for BitTorrent Inc., a San Francisco startup seeking to commercialize the BitTorrent file-sharing protocol, the move against Comcast led to layoffs instead. The ruling may ultimately prove fatal to the company. More »
    08/06/08
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    Comment by Owen Thomas: @funchords: "As for BitTorrent's content-delivery network, it was premised on the notion that BitTorrent would negotiate with ISPs to get... more » | Other threads

  • file sharing

    Comcast cuddles up to BitTorrent while still choking users

    Cable and internet service provider Comcast, half of the local broadband duopoly here in the Bay Area, has promised to stop throttling traffic generated by users of the BitTorrent protocol. This comes in the wake of a mountain of bad press sparked by the discovery that Comcast was interfering with customers' file-sharing transmissions — including an AP reporter's entirely legal Bible download. In return, BitTorrent Inc. promises to optimize the company's client for Comcast's network. However, Comcast isn't showering away the stink; it's just applying deodorant. More »
    03/27/08
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    Comment by Mossback: Actually, Jackson, you're wrong. Comcast doesn't "advertise that speed at that price with no notice of data restrictions," they advertise... more » | Other threads

  • politics

    FCC chair to Comcast: Stop lying about file sharing

    At a Congressional hearing, Comcast executives said the company needs to filter some traffic to keep the flow of data constant on its networks — like blocking BitTorrent file-sharing, as it was caught doing last fall. Federal Communications Commission head Kevin Martin is having none of it. "I think it's important to understand that the commission is ready, willing and able to step in if necessary to correct any (unreasonable) practices that are ongoing today," he said today. Martin wants Internet service providers to be more "transparent." Network operators have the right to manage data traffic, but that "does not mean they can arbitrarily block access to particular applications or services," he added. Translation? If you're going to block file sharing, stop lying about it.
    02/25/08
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    Comment by jamar0303: @jamar0303: That or Japan could point their newly-launched internet satellite in the general direction of North America... more » | Other threads

  • politics

    Consumer groups want Comcast fined for thwarting the Bible

    A number of consumer groups are petitioning the FCC to fine Comcast $195,000 for every customer affected by their BitTorrent-throttling practices. The FCC has said in the past that service providers can't "block" customers from using certain applications or websites, but it hasn't enforced that policy. Comcast has stated that they aren't "blocking" data transmissions, but are delaying them. Angry users aren't seeing much of a difference. We still think that government regulation is not the answer. You don't like what Comcast is doing? Let your wallet do the talking — change providers or lay your own fiber, bub. Or, considering that Comcast was caught blocking a digital version of the Bible, perhaps divine intervention is what called for. Down with the infidels! (Photo by AP/Douglas C. Pizac)
    11/01/07
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    Comment by ramdac: Blocking the Bible?! Terrorists! They don't believe in free speech or freedom of religion. Down with the Infidels. They're either... more » | Other threads

  • liars

    Damning Proof Comcast Contracted To Sandvine

    Comcast told its employees to not comment when customers ask about recent reports in an AP article that it contracted BitTorrent sabotaging to a company called Sandvine, or to even discuss that a relationship exists between the two companies. Too bad that Barron's financial magazine reported back in April that the two are in bed together: [Consumerist]
    10/27/07
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    Comment by JoeMomma: I feel your pain, JustAGuy2. But there is no point trying to explain concepts like traffic shaping and oversubscription to... more » | Other threads

  • leaks

    Comcast's "We Don't Throttle BitTorrent" Internal Talking Points Memo

    A Comcast employee supplied The Consumerist with the following internal email sent out to all the customer service staff at the Maryland call center. It's regarding recent reports that the cable company disrupts traffic between customers using the BitTorrent file-sharing protocol:
    All,
    [Consumerist]
    10/26/07
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    Comment by Overheal: bitTorrent isnt a website though (according to the memo) Its a Protocol! more » | Other threads

  • politics

    Congressman tells Comcast to play nice and share

    Comcast has gotten a bitch-slap from Congressman Rick Boucher. Quick recap: Users said Comcast was screwing up file-sharing downloads via BitTorrent but no one believed them. Then the Associated Press did their own report, trying to download the Bible but failing. Comcast blundered through a denial, calling the wire report "web gossip." And it might get sued. All that and a pissed-off Congressman too? Not a good week for Philadelphia's cable guys. More »
    10/25/07
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    Comment by Georgey67: Yeah, but Comcast and other ISP's, maintain the network so unless you're willing to go out there everyday and make... more » | Other threads

  • great moments in public relations

    Comcast calls AP story "Web gossip"

    A reader emailed Comcast to complain about its blocking the Bible and received back a typical PR-speak response. Within was this gem: "We have a responsibility to manage our network to ensure that our customers have the best broadband experience possible." Aha! I hadn't realized the "best broadband experience" excluded BitTorrent. That's Comcastic! Also a nice touch: Dismissing a story that ran over the Associated Press wire service as "web gossip." The full email after the jump. More »
    10/23/07
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    Comment by Matt_: Watch out Valleywag - AP is now trying to step in on your territory of Web Gossip more » | Other threads

  • lawsuits

    Comcast may get sued for BitTorrent disruption

    It was only last week that Comcast was getting called the Antichrist for disrupting BitTorrent users on its network and preventing the Associated Press from downloading the Bible. Since then, Comcast has offered nothing but excuses. Now, Comcast might get sued. More »
    10/23/07
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    Comment by karmaghost: "You don't like it? Go lay your own fiber, bub." I don't read this particular Gawker site that much so maybe... more » | Other threads

  • file sharing

    First the Bible, now ... Lotus Notes? It seems the same technology that Comcast uses to slow down BitTorrent file sharing also prevents emails with large attachments from being sent through Lotus Notes. We pray that this gets fixed soon or we'll be forced to switch to an ISP that isn't quite so evil. And email software that doesn't completely suck. [Ars Technica]
    10/22/07
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  • file sharing

    Comcast offers excuses for blocking Bible

    Amy Banse, an executive at bible-blocking cable company Comcast, admitted at the Web 2.0 Summit on Friday that the company intentionally disrupts BitTorrent traffic. She said the company does so because the "0.01 percent" of customers who engage in what Comcast calls "excessive use" are sending the equivalent of 18,000 emails an hour. Comcast got into this mess after the Associated Press tried and failed to transfer a copy of the Bible using BitTorrent software. The cause? A network analysis revealed deliberate service disruptions by Comcast. The Bible's author has yet respond to requests for comment. (Photo by dmuth)
    10/22/07
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    Comment by moussa: has anyone looked into the possibility that Comcast is affecting competitor's VOIP services, too? After Comcast's VOIP service came out,... more » | Other threads

  • bittorrent

    Comcast blocks Bible to fight file sharing

    Oh, god. For a few months, there have been rumblings of Comcast, the cable and Internet provider, intentionally disrupting BitTorrent traffic. The Associated Press verified the dusruption by trying to download a copy of the King James Bible via BitTorrent over Comcast-connected computers. A devilishly clever move, downloading a public-domain work unprotected by copyright, and suggesting that Comcast opposes the distribution of the Holy Book. More »
    10/19/07
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    Comment by Starfury: I had comcast but dumped them for ATT DSL. I'm getting faster d/l and much faster u/l speeds. I sometimes get... more » | Other threads

  • file sharing

    Comcast cracks down on actual use of its broadband

    Update below. Cable-TV and Internet provider Comcast is fighting back against customers who are rampant file sharers, TorrentFreak says. Reportedly the broadband Internet service provider has slowly ramped up monitoring of peer-to-peer network traffic, and now, using traffic-management services, it's preventing BitTorrent users from connecting to anyone outside the Comcast network. This would almost be commendable if its motivation was to crack down on piracy, but TorrentFreak suggests that Comcast is just being cheap. One anonymous Internet engineer says that just because you pay for a connection, doesn't mean you actually get to abuse it. Or, some might say, actually get to use it. What's next? Policing online-video sites, or bandwidth-intensive real-time videogames? You get what you pay for — except when you don't. More »
    08/20/07
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    Comment by sample032: Throttling isn't quite the same as blocking packets of a certain type. more » | Other threads

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