Cambridge, Mass. - The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) signaled at a public hearing yesterday at Harvard Law School that the agency is prepared to act, if it finds that Internet service providers are discriminating against certain network traffic, such as file-sharing. FCC chairman Kevin Martin said in a prepared statement that "network operators can take reasonable steps to manage traffic, but they cannot arbitrarily block access," adding that "the commission is ready, willing and able to step in if necessary to correct any practices that are ongoing today."

The hearing was scheduled in part to examine complaints from consumers that Comcast (NASD: CMCSA) and other ISPs have been actively interfering with peer-to-peer traffic, in the name of managing the efficiency of their networks for all consumers.

FCC commissioner Michael Copps also called for the establishment of "a systematic, expeditious case-by-case approach for adjudicating claims of discrimination" by ISPs.

For its part, Comcast said at the hearing that the company only interferes with file-sharing traffic when its volume would affect the performance of its service for other subscribers, and that such traffic is not blocked, but merely rerouted, the Associated Press reported.

"We have chosen the least intrusive method to help the vast majority of our customers avoid service degradation," Comcast EVP David L. Cohen said at the hearing, according to AP.

Following the conclusion of the hearing, FCC chairman Martin told reporters he was concerned with the lack of transparency for consumers on how Comcast and other network providers are limiting their customers' use of their services, but did not signal that the FCC planned any immediate action, CNET News.com reported.

Related Links:
http://snipurl.com/20gqc (PDF: Kevin Martin statement)

http://snipurl.com/20gop (AP)

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