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SOURCE
"The agency is considering new rules and enforcement decisions that would force the cable and telephone companies to more clearly disclose to consumers the circumstances in which they might delay some traffic. Comcast recently disclosed that the heavy use of video sharing applications has forced them to slow down some broadband traffic. Consumer groups have replied that such packet discrimination is both unnecessary and potentially threatens to undermine the freewheeling nature of the Internet.
�They must be conducted in an open and transparent way,� said Kevin J. Martin, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, at a hearing on network neutrality and network management here Monday. �While networks may have reasonable practices, they obviously cannot operate without taking some reasonable steps but that does not mean they can arbitrarily block access to certain services.�
Michael J. Copps, a Democratic commissioner, said that until recently, the cable companies had been decided �in a black box that the American public could not peek into.� He expressed alarm that any cable companies might be degrading or slowing down network traffic.
�The time has come for a specific enforceable principle of nondiscrimination at the F.C.C.,� Mr. Copps said. �Our job is to figure out where you draw the line between unreasonable discrimination and reasonable network management.�
The hearing comes as the commission has been called to resolve a growing number of disputes between broadband providers and file-sharing companies over consumers using peer-to-peer protocol to upload larger video files. Cable companies say that the growing use by consumers of the Internet to get large video files is beginning to clog their networks. "
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