New York - Along with known file-sharing traffic throttler Comcast (NASD: CMCSA), fellow broadband provider Cox Communications is also interfering with the usage of BitTorrent and similar peer-to-peer applications by its subscribers, the Associated Press reported, citing research conducted by German's Max Planck Institute for Software Systems. The study monitored over 8,000 Internet users worldwide, and found conclusive evidence of blocked file-sharing connections only by Comcast, Cox and Singapore's StarHub.

It found that 62% of the 788 Comcast subscribers who participated in the study had connections blocked, along with 54% of Cox subscribers; the study also found evidence of blocking at seven other U.S. cable broadband ISPs, but not in the numbers seen at Comcast or Cox.

After previous research found Comcast to be throttling file-sharing traffic, the Federal Communications Commission held hearings and launched an investigation, which remains open.

Despite Comcast's initial response that it was only managing network traffic at peak congestion hours, the study found Comcast and Cox to be blocking file-sharing at all hours of the day.

"This research proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that consumers, Congress and the FCC must urgently pursue the complaints against network providers. Now is the time to send a clear signal to the market that blocking consumers' access to the lawful Internet content of their choice is out of bounds," said Ben Scott, policy director at Free Press, which promotes democratic media policies.

Related Links:
http://snipurl.com/29102 (AP)

http://broadband.mpi-sws.mpg.de/transparency/results/