Comcast, (NSDQ: CMCSA) the country’s largest cable operator and the second largest ISP, could be the biggest test for FCC policies on ‘net neutrality,’ if a coalition of consumer groups has its way. The coalition formally asked the FCC today to halt Comcast’s practice of treating file sharing differently from other web traffic; two of the groups, according to AP, are seeking fines of $195,000 for every affected subscriber. The petitions follow last month’s AP reports that its tests showed Comcast was hindering use of BitTorrent by blocking initial requests for files on Comcast subscriber computers. Comcast allowed the uploads after repeated requests.
The company has admitted to “delaying” some traffic, but says the delays are meant to keep a few file sharers from slowing down traffic for the majority of users and are covered under its terms of service. As AP points out, the delaying policy also can slow down legit P2P uses. Co-signers of the petition seeking immediate declaration that Comcast is violating the FCC policy include Consumer Federation of America; Consumers Union (publisher of Consumer Reports); Media Access Project; and professors at Yale, Harvard and Stanford law schools. Free Press and Public Knowledge are seeking the fines.
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