FCC Rules Against Comcast

The FCC has ruled that Comcast unlawfully limited its customer's access to certain Web sites and services, marking the first time the agency has formally ordered an ISP to comply with Net neutrality guidelines.The FCC launched its investigation into Comcast in January after discovering the company was interfering with its customers' use of certain peer-to-peer file-sharing sites, a practice critics called "blocking" traffic and Comcast called "managing" traffic. In Friday's 3-2 decision, the FCC told the company to stop blocking and slowing Internet traffic and to publicly disclose how it manages its traffic, though it did not impose a fine.

In a statement released mid-afternoon, Comcast maintained that its "network management choices were reasonable, wholly consistent with industry practices and that we did not block access to Web sites or online applications, including peer-to-peer services," but was "gratified that the Commission did not find any conduct by Comcast that justified a fine."InformationWeek, DSL Reports