Comcast Illegally Interfered With Web File-Sharing Traffic, FCC Says

A majority of the Federal Communications Commission has concluded that cable operator Comcast unlawfully disrupted the transfer of certain digital video files, affirming the government's right to regulate how Internet companies manage Web traffic. Three commissioners on the five-member FCC have signed off on an order that finds Comcast violated federal rules by purposely slowing the transmission of video files shared among users of the application BitTorrent. As of Friday, Republican FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin and Democrats Michael J. Copps and Jonathan S. Adelstein had affirmed the complaint. Republican Robert M. McDowell is preparing to vote against the complaint and Republican Deborah Taylor Tate has not indicated how she will rule. The full board is scheduled to formally vote on the matter Friday. Details of the order have not been announced, though Martin is not expected to fine Comcast, according to industry insiders and members of the FCC who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the ruling still is pending. The ruling could set a precedent, analysts said, in that it would send a message to other carriers that they must fully disclose how they manage the flow of traffic over their networks and not single out any specific applications for more scrutiny.