FCC Chairman Kevin Martin announced
his intention to investigate blocking of peer-to-peer file-sharing
services by Comcast and other Internet service providers. “Sure, we’re
going to investigate and make sure that no consumer is going to be
blocked…I tell the staff that they should act on all of those
complaints and investigate all of them,” said Martin. But will the FCC
Chairman keep his word?

“We hope the Chairman’s statements, made two months after we filed
our complaint, will lead to immediate and accelerated action at the FCC
on the critical issue of whether Comcast, AT&T and other Internet
service providers can block the services people want to use,” said Marvin Ammori, general counsel of Free Press.

In October, an Associated Press investigation found that Comcast was secretly interfering with user access. This was later confirmed by an EFF report. In response, members of the SavetheInternet.com Coalition filed a petition with the FCC calling upon the agency to take action against such net neutrality violations. In an accompanying complaint, Free Press and Public Knowledge asked the FCC to fine Comcast $195,000 for every affected subscriber.

In another petition
filed in December, members of the SavetheInternet.com Coalition
protested Verizon Wireless’s refusal to send text messages from NARAL
Pro-Choice America. (Verizon later reversed its policy after a New York Times expose generated public outrage). The petition — filed by Public
Knowledge, Free Press, U.S. PIRG, Media Access Project, Consumers Union
and the New America Foundation — urged the FCC to prohibit cell phone
companies from blocking or interfering with text messages sent over
their networks. It also stated that cell phone companies should treat
text messaging like spoken phone conversations — delivering all
information to their customers without censorship.