08/20/2008, 5:40pm, EDT
Wednesday, August 20thComcast to switch to time-based throttling
Comcast's proposed software-independent throttling method will involve time-based slowdowns of Internet service, company senior VP Mitch Bowling says in an interview with Bloomberg. The new method will actively monitor subscribers' overall cable Internet connection use and slow it down for between 10 to 20 minutes if a user is creating a problem on the network, returning to slow it again if their particular habits continue to affect others in the area.
The slowdown is allegedly mild and would still qualify as regular high-speed Internet access. It would equal a "a really good DSL experience," Bowling claims without providing exact speeds.
This approach follows a formal FCC ruling banning Comcast's old filtering, which the US government body said unfairly punished specific content formats that included BitTorrent. The FCC also accused Comcast of deceptive practices by denying any throttling or similar techniques until investigators confirmed the behavior, which forced Comcast to admit what it argues are "reasonable" steps to take care of its network.
Such methods as the time-based method suggested by Comcast are potentially controversial as they may interfere with legitimate services that depend on a guaranteed level of bandwidth for a long amount of time, such as streaming movies.
Filed under: industry, networking
Other story tags: FCC, Comcast, BitTorrent
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Comcast Stinks
I'm glad I just switched to Fios.... I for one was sick of Comast's crappy service.
re: Phoynak
I am with you.. Hail FIOS! :)
comcastic
it's craptastic!
hey comcast
Why don't you spend some money making your network fast enough and giving good service instead of making it suck for the people who want to use it.
If you do the math, they basically limit you to like ISDN speeds before they stop cutting you off.
Bunch of losers. I hope you go out of business.
waiting
Once Verision has coverage in southern Forth Worth, I will switch immediately.
Comcast STINKS!
I can't WAIT for FIOS to come to my area so I can ditch Crapcast. This throttling business is the lazy way of "taking care" of their network. Instead of bolstering the infrastructure to support its customers, it resorts to this child-like behavior.
Broadband in general in the US is in a sad, sad state compared to the rest of the (tech-savvy) world. We are way behind. And what Comcast is doing just keeps us further behind.
DOWN WITH COMCAST!!! Viva los FIOS !!!
Who are they kidding?
There already so damn slow, this will just be an excuse for them.
So
If the network access you paid for runs slower, does your bill follow suit? No? Shocking.
Comcast, AT&T, all the others hate Network Neutrality and are trying to chip and chip away at the service to customers. ***holes.
Don't celebrate so fast
Verizon is not much better as a company. In fact, none of the major broadband ISPs are all that good.
I jsut switched 2 Comcast
I tried to get AT&T UVerse, but on two separate install dates, six weeks apart, they couldn't match the address of my house to the address of their wiring system. The difference? One set of records had Drive at the end of my address, and the other didn't. I got sick of the incompetance and moved all my services over the Comcast. I figured it would be okay after the "no throttling" rulings were handed down. Maybe not.