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FCC Chairman Recommends Sanctions Against Comcast

By: Justin Bourne

Posted: 07/11/2008

WASHINGTON - Federal Communications Commission chairman Kevin Martin said he will recommend Comcast Corporation be punished for breaching agency ethics which guarantee customers open access to the Internet, The Associated Press reported Friday.

 

The punishment originates from a complaint against the cable giant for blocking Internet traffic among users of a specific form of file-sharing software that facilitates the exchange of large amounts of data.

 

"The commission has adopted a set of principles that protects consumer's access to the Internet," Martin told The Associated Press. "We found that Comcast's actions in this instance violated our principles."

 

Martin said Comcast has "arbitrarily" blocked Internet access, regardless of the level of traffic, and neglected to inform consumers that it was doing so.

 

Comcast spokeswoman, Sena Fitzmaurice, denied that the company blocks Internet content or services and that the "carefully limited measures that Comcast takes to manage traffic on its broadband network are a reasonable part" of the company's strategy to ensure all customers receive quality service.

 

Martin, a Republican, will circulate an order recommending enforcement action against the company on Friday among his fellow commissioners, who will vote on the measure at an open meeting on Aug. 1.