Time's Up: Comcast Must Come Clean about Internet Blocking
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: September 19, 2008
Contact: Jen Howard, Free Press, (202) 265-1490, x22 or (703) 517-6273
WASHINGTON -- Comcast, the nation's largest cable company, must disclose to the Federal Communications Commission the full details of its past and future "network management" practices by midnight tonight. This disclosure is required as part of the FCC's enforcement order sanctioning the cable giant for blocking Internet users' access to lawful online content and services.
Last month, the FCC found Comcast guilty of violating users' online rights after a months-long investigation into a complaint from Free Press and Public Knowledge. Comcast was ordered to fully disclose every detail of its "unreasonable network management" practices to the federal agency within 30 days, stop the blocking by the end of the year, and publicly specify plans for managing its network without discrimination.
Ben Scott, policy director of Free Press, issued the following statement:
"We hope that with today's filing, Comcast will finally lift the heavy veil of secrecy that shrouds its illegal blocking. After more than a year of deception and evasion, Comcast has left its millions of subscribers with many questions unanswered.
"Full disclosure to the FCC and the public should be Comcast's top priority. If any cable or phone company cannot provide the high-speed network it advertises, subscribers deserve to know the limits of the service they are buying.
"Should Comcast decide to go AWOL and not file, Internet users can trust that the FCC will be an effective cop on the beat. The FCC has made it clear that it will not tolerate anything less than Comcast's full cooperation to ensure that secret, illegal blocking doesn't happen again."
Read the FCC's enforcement order: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-08-183A1.pdf
Free Press is a national, nonpartisan organization working to reform the media. Free Press does not support or oppose any candidate for public office. Through education, organizing and advocacy, we promote diverse and independent media ownership, strong public media and universal access to communications.
