FCC might hold second Comcast hearing at Stanford

By | February 28, 2008, 10:20am PST

Summary: ValleyWag is reporting that the FCC may hold a second hearing into Comcast’s network management practices — as payback for packing the room at Harvard earlier this week. The blog claims to know: The FCC will take no official action against Comcast over the held seats, but relocating the hearing to Stanford is punishment enough. Net-neutrality [...]

ValleyWag is reporting that the FCC may hold a second hearing into Comcast’s network management practices — as payback for packing the room at Harvard earlier this week. The blog claims to know:

The FCC will take no official action against Comcast over the held seats, but relocating the hearing to Stanford is punishment enough. Net-neutrality crusader Larry Lessig teaches there, and the Valley’s Comcast-hating engineers may actually be provoked enough by the seatwarming episode to pry themselves away from their keyboards. And best of all: Stanford would get to one-up Harvard by showing it knows how to run a meeting.

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Richard Koman

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Biography

Richard Koman

Richard Koman is an attorney admitted to practice in California. As a technology writer since the mid-1980s, Richard Koman has documented the role of computing in the transformation of the graphic arts, the growth of the Web and the birth of the peer-to-peer phenomenon. He worked as a book and web editor for O'Reilly Media throughout the 1990s, editing several influential websites and numerous best-sellers. As a lawyer, as well as a tech writer, he brings a unique perspective to the blog's intersection of law, government and technology.

Talkback Most Recent of 7 Talkback(s)

  • Please, No more delays until Comcast interference is ended
    My name is Robb Topolski, and I am the Comcast customer identified in the Free Press (et. al.) petition to the FCC and my own personal statement is attached to the filing. Comcast's hacker-style network abuse is over a year old, and the FCC should act immediately to stop it.

    The Petition asks for an immediate stop to the discriminatory Comcast interference, rules preventing such practices among other US Internet Service Providers, and a monetary fine.

    It has been officially proposed that the FCC extend the time for public comment. It has also been suggested that the FCC hold additional public hearings.

    Clearly, sufficient facts about this particular Comcast interference issue are in to grant part of the Petition: The FCC should act to stop the interference immediately.

    Once the ongoing damage has been stopped, the FCC may hold additional hearings to address the issue of permanent Network Neutrality rules and the disposition of the remainder of the Comcast case.

    Robb Topolski
    ZDNet Gravatar
    techrepublic.funchords@...
    28th Feb 2008
  • email
    Hi Robb--

    Can you email me about this? rkoman@gmail.com
    ZDNet Gravatar
    rkoman@...
    28th Feb 2008
  • Email Sent...
    I responded in email just now.

    --Robb
    ZDNet Gravatar
    techrepublic.funchords@...
    28th Feb 2008
  • Contact the FCC
    The fact that the FCC stated they will take no OFFICIAL action toward Comcast attempting to mess with a public hearing is hogwash. Comcast should have fines and other actions levied against them to keep this type of corporate interference at bay. Contact the FCC at their website, www.fcc.gov , and file a complaint. Im sure if they get enough public outcry, they may think of doing something. Yes i know comcast lines their pockets, but we can hope right?
    ZDNet Gravatar
    JT82
    29th Feb 2008
  • Neither confirm nor deny
    I talked (via voicemail) to an FCC spokesman. He said the agency could neither confirm nor deny the Valleywag story, that he didn't know where they got the story from but it wasn't from the FCC. And that the FCC had "no comment" on any action regarding Comcast's actions at the meeting.

    I suspect they would have make some finding one way or the other if FreePress filed an official complaint with FCC?
    ZDNet Gravatar
    rkoman@...
    29th Feb 2008
  • Typical response..
    But remember Comcast has gone on record they said they paid people to "stand in" for their reps...HRM..and then they conveiniently dont show up. they are still stacking the deck and manipulating a public hearing which IS first come first serve.

    Also if there is a big enough public outcry, to even the ALLEGATIONS of Comcast fixing a public hearing...they will take some sort of action, thats why Im saying send in comments and complaints to the FCC -- overload their office even grin . It is an election year.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    JT82
    29th Feb 2008
  • Does FCC have to make a finding?
    I suspect they would have make some finding one way or the other if FreePress filed an official complaint with FCC?

    Not for that reason. They were, and technically still are, free to ignore the petition for as long as they wish.

    But Martin said that they would hear the matter and is ready and able to respond as needed. The big question is that of whether Comcast's actions were "Reasonable." Almost everyone who testified to that question said no, but there were disagreements as to where they crossed the line.

    So the FCC practically has to respond and tell us what they decided -- but only because they said they would, legislation requiring them to do so is coming down the tracks, and Comcast practically taunted them by saying that the FCC was powerless to stop them.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    techrepublic.funchords@...
    2nd Mar 2008

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