Comcast Defends Traffic Level In Face Of Level 3 Complaint

In a filing to the Federal Communications Commission, Comcast contends that the exchange of broadband network traffic it sends out and receives as part of peering agreements with Internet backbone service providers is relatively equal, and where it isn't those fee-free agreements are adjusted, just as they were with Level 3.

Comcast says Level 3 is trying to avoid paying fees the cable company normally charges other providers. Comcast argues that now Level 3, which struck a deal to deliver Netflix traffic, is sending it five times as much traffic as Comcast sends Level 3. Comcast says that in "almost all cases" of fee-free reciprocal agreements with other broadband services companies, the balance "does not approach that [5:1] level," and that across its 40 or so settlement-free peering arrangements, Comcast is actually sending more traffic than receiving in a third of those. It says that in only one of those 40 is the traffic out of balance to the extent that Level 3's is and that in that case Comcast has also informed them that a "settlement-free" peering arrangement is not acceptable, which means Comcast will have to start charging them, too. "Level 3 wants discrimination - in its favor - in a manner that will undermine the well-settled and successful framework that has governed the exchange of traffic on the Internet, around the globe, for a decade," said Comcast. "Instead, we continue to ask that Level 3 work with Comcast to find a reasonable business solution to Level 3's self-inflicted business problem." Comcast has said it is willing to negotiate with Level 3 to resolve the issue, which was being used by public interest groups both as ammunition for online access conditions on the Comcast/NBCU merger and for adopting network neutrality rules.