Assuming this report is correct, do you believe that Comcast has the right to "manage" traffic on their network in this way? Could you imagine AT&T or Verizon offering a "BitTorrent-friendly" package to compete with Comcast?Comcast has been "caught" blocking BitTorrent traffic in some areas, according to tests performed by the Associated Press. The news organization claims to have confirmed that Comcast is blocking—or at least seriously slowing down—BitTorrent transfers, regardless of whether the content is legal or not. If true, Comcast's actions have serious implications for sharing information online, and by proxy, Net Neutrality.
The AP was tipped off to the possible P2P blockage by a reader who had noticed serious slowdowns on his Comcast connection. The organization then proceeded to perform a number of tests—three, to be exact—on two computers in cities on both the east and west coasts. AP chose to download a copy of the King James Bible through BitTorrent (because it is an uncopyrighted work) and went to work. In two out of its three tests, the downloads were blocked altogether, while in the remaining test, the download started after a 10-minute delay.
19 October 2007
Comcast and BitTorrent
Articles like this one are showing up on the net ... I chose to refer to this one from Ars Technica because it is the most technical that I have seen thus far. Quoting the article:
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2 comments:
If Comcast wants to block torrents, it should be clearly stated in the service agreement. It is unfair for them to disrupt customer's traffic, whatever it is meant for, unless they specifically do not allow some traffic as stated in the agreement. If so, then the customer can choose a better ISP.
Comcast has no right to block bitorrent traffic, besides they are not a certified authority to judge what traffic is legal and what traffic is not. if they were to block any kind if traffic it should be upon the request of a court, and I agree with Summit the consumer should be clearly notified.
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