comcast

Broadband industry to American public: “Who needs open Internet rules when you can just take our word for it?”

Hundreds of thousands of concerned citizens recently asked the FCC to protect the open Internet, but broadband providers filed comments that are the hundreds of pages equivalent of “take our word for it, everything will be fine” or “move along, nothing to see here.” In preparing our reply comments to the FCC’s open Internet proceeding, we’ve been examining the most recent comments of the big fixed and mobile broadband providers like Comcast, Verizon, and AT&T.

What we found could be striking or completely obvious, but is probably both at the same time. Broadband providers primarily occupy themselves with aggressive posturing and finger-pointing aimed at content providers like Netflix and backbone providers like Cogent and Level 3. The big industry players’ comments also make clear that the big broadband providers apparently do live in an alternate universe to most Americans.  In this universe, the vast majority of Americans can easily switch between an ample number of broadband providers on a whim, and where any real rules to protect the open Internet as we know it are unnecessary because… well, because… just take our word for it.

Coalition to President Obama: Comcast-NBC merger must be a "rigorous regulatory process"

This week the Coalition for Fair Media published an open letter to President Obama urging a "rigorous regulatory process" of the Comcast-NBC merger. The Coalition consists of New Media Rights and 23 other diverse groups including public interest groups and private organizations standing up for heavy scrutiny of the merger. To read more about the harms of the merger read Art Neill's op-ed on why the merger matters for San Diegans and Mera's overview of Comcast-NBC merger.

Comcast spits on Democracy and the Internet by tampering with FCC meeting on net neutrality

THIS JUST IN: Democracy for sale to the highest bidder! ....or something like that.... In a recent FCC hearing concerning network neutrality, Comcast paid bystanders to hold nearly all the seats in the hearing room (some of which were observed sleeping through the proceeding), forcing concerned members of the public that wished to participate to miss the meeting. The hearing was scheduled to address accusations that Comcast is blocking rival video-on-demand services on it's network. Read more at: http://www.savetheinternet.com/blog/2008/02/28/why-comcast-payola-is-wrong/ or: http://www.portfolio.com/news-markets/top-5/2008/02/26/Comcast-FCC-Hearing-Strategy