The FCC Doesn’t Think It’s Comcastic…
It seems that Comcast is taking the first steps toward implementing data usage caps, a 
move that the FCC is not too happy with.
This Spring, Comcast began testing technology in select markets that slows down connections for its heaviest bandwidth users, with hopes of fully implementing the system by the end of the year. This week, the FCC found that Comcast was also using the technology to block peer-to-peer files, and ordered the provider to stop. The report suggests that Comcast looked into the files being transferred and deliberately blocked files thought to be high-quality video – video files that might compete with Comcast’s cable TV offerings.
Regardless of its reasons, though, Comcast is not the only provider testing the use of data caps. ISPs are, after all, in business to make money, and it seems that the future of profit in the industry is tied to providers’ ability to somehow regulate bandwidth consumption.
Direction from the FCC, ISPs and the government, mixed with economics, will ultimately decide net neutrality’s fate some day, and will likely provide more food for thought on this issue. In the meantime, however, an easier option for carriers is to simply ensure their networks can handle whatever customers throw at them (or demand from them, as the case may be), keeping existing and new customers happy. The demand for bandwidth-heavy services shows no signs of slowing down, and in order to keep customers and the FCC happy – at least for now – the best compromise is proper network management.
