Comcast, Pando Networks Work on ‘P2P Bill of Rights and Responsibilities’
Cable Operator, Peer-to-Peer Sharing-Application Provider Team Up on Network Management
By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 4/15/2008 11:59:00 AM
Saying it is the next step in its effort to find a solution to network-management issues associated with file-sharing applications, Comcast said Tuesday that it is working with peer-to-peer sharing-application provider Pando Networks on a "P2P Bill of Rights and Responsibilities."
Comcast said the two parties will work with other stakeholders and experts to come up with a framework of best practices.
The FCC said it wanted to hear more. A spokesman said Tuesday executives from Comcast and Pando had been invited to a Thursday field hearing at Stanford University on network neutality.
That Comcast announcement follows one by the cable company March 27 that it was working with P2P company BitTorrent on ways to better deal with bit-rich content, including pledging to make whatever network-management steps it took "protocol-agnostic." One of the complaints about its network management was that it targeted BitTorrent protocols.
Comcast said Tuesday that Pando would test PSP technology on its fiber optic network, adding that it would use the data to help it migrate to that protocol-agnostic management regime, as well as make the data available to others. "The arrangement is yet another example of how these technical issues can be worked out through private business discussions and without the need for government intervention," Comcast said.
BitTorrent and others complained to the Federal Communications Commission about Comcast's network-management techniques for the bandwidth-heavy file-sharing system, which Comcast said were necessary to provide a quality Internet experience for all of its customers.
The cable operator said both companies thought they could come up with a solution without the need for government intervention. The BitTorrent announcement was hailed by opponents of mandatory network-neutrality regulations or legislation but panned by activists unconvinced that this took care of the perceived problem.
While Comcast said it would look for ways to adjust its network management, BitTorrent also agreed to try to make its applications work better.
“We’re looking forward to more information on the proposal,” said Marvin Amorri, general counsel of Free Press, one of the groups that complained to the FCC about Comcast’s network management/content blocking.” I find it surprising that Comcast and this small company think they should determine what the rights and responsibilities are for all P2P users.”
“Establishing a specific and clearly defined P2P Bill of Rights is an interesting idea with potentially important implications for all Internet users," said FCC spokesman Robert Kenny. "In order to learn more about this newly announced joint effort, we have invited Robert Levitan, CEO of Pando Networks, and Tony Werner, Comcast’s Chief Technology Officer, or their representatives to participate in the Commission’s En Banc hearing on broadband network management practices this Thursday at Stanford University.
"We look forward to more fully understanding the goals, scope and time frame of this industry effort.”
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this is BS - I work at a ISP - and I see that there is no issues, if comcast can not handle the people who use P2P networks, then they need to upgrade their network! or put it in their TOS - but do not force everyone, because they can not handle it.
peter - 4/18/2008 10:45:00 AM EDT -
Today, Comcast Corporation and Pando Networks announced that they will lead the industry to create a "P2P Bill of Rights and Responsibilities" for users and ISPs. With an FCC hearing on Comcast's anti-peer-to-peer practices scheduled for later this week, this is hardly a surprise. Once again, Comcast makes another sweetheart-sounding deal, but at the wrong time, and with the wrong sweetheart.
It takes a special kind of arrogance for a company that sells Internet Access to team up with another company that sells Content Delivery and together decide what rights and responsibilities that the world's Internet users should have.
As in its earlier "deal" with BitTorrent, Inc., Comcast's announcement today doesn't change any of the facts it faces: in 2006, it assured Congress that network neutrality laws were not necessary, saying it would not "deny, delay, or degrade" its customers in order to deal with traffic congestion. Within a year it was caught secretly doing exactly that! Even after a long string of deceptive and deflective statements and tactics, Comcast continues to degrade their traffic today.
As was the case in the BitTorrent "deal," neither Comcast Corporation nor Pando Networks represents the millions of customers and other members of the Internet community who were impacted when Comcast secretly launched its anti-P2P attack.
Today's announcement comes less than 48 hours from the US Federal Communication Committee's public hearing at Stanford University. There, the FCC is scheduled to hear from two panels of experts followed by two hours of public testimony on the Comcast incident specifically as well as similar industry practices in general.
No doubt we will soon see Comcast and Pando Networking executives start to explain why today's "deal" signals that Network Neutrality regulation is not needed in the Broadband Marketplace.
Robert M. "Robb" Topolski
Robb Topolski - 4/15/2008 4:51:00 PM EDT
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