Comcast subscribers, however, should be looking forward to another rate hike (I know, and how is this different then the others???)

Good. These tactics are another one of the irrational - it can be used to steal so therefore no one can use the technology no matter what they use it for. I have never downloaded illegal content. But there are times when a Linux distribution is only available via bit torrent and I have not been able to download and use it although it is perfectly legal. A while back, the same types of people were trying to outlaw CD-Rs because they claimed people only used them for illegally copying music. I and many others use them to back up files and share my own work with others as well as using them to burn a Linux installation disk.

Although there will be talk of fines, there will not be any penalties under the Bush (Kiss Big Business Butt) administration.

Yet it was his FCC chief who tried to get more regulation of the cable industry recently, but was voted down.

I sure hope this is true. And I hope they get fined big time as a warning to all other internet service providers like AT&T and others. If people are paying for a service they should be getting what they paid for period!

"Yet it was his FCC chief who tried to get more regulation of the cable industry recently, but was voted down."

While the FCC has been "harsh" to Comcast, it has to do with net neutrality.

I kicked Comcast out of my house back in 2001 and got a dish. Their Internet service is way too expensive and restrictive (just ask anyone who extensively uses newsgroups).

The local Comcast office is right across the street from my house, and when they look out of their office windows, they get a view of the backside of my satellite dish. :-)

I sure hope this is true. And I hope they get fined big time as a warning to all other internet service providers like AT&T and others. If people are paying for a service they should be getting what they paid for period!

But don't think this will be the end of it. It's easy to foresee their 'unlimited' service being more limited with nice fine print and other exceptions/restrictions.

h***, maybe they'll 'tier' their service. Basic internet, $50. Add Bittorrent for $14.95. Want Limewire/Gnutella? That adds another $10. Both with daily usage limits. Or get PPD (pay-per-download) for just $2 (it's Comcastic!).

:D

Nice one testudo. That is very possibly the route they will take, no matter how annoyingly messed up it might be for the customer.

The FCC is interested in Cable registration so it can fine cable operators under the same arbitrary rules for alleged indecent material. Currently, public ariwaves are regulated under the theory they are public. The same argument doesn't hold true for private Cable.

Moreover, such regulation would be a means to implement censorship indirectly. Since it is impossible to determine what indecent material is and the rules are unfairly enforced, often broadcasters are forced to curb speech to be safe. The FCC used these rules to force Howard Stern to Satellite.