Comcast says it Slows, Not Blocks, Net Traffic

Comcast publicly denies blocking BitTorrent or any other Net traffic, but company executives tell a different story. Instead, Comcast executives say, the company sometimes delays, not blocks, peer-to-peer file transfers that hog a disproportionate amount of bandwidth, according to a blog post by The New York Times.

Comcast came under fire last week when the Associated Press reported the company blocks some Internet traffic to its ISP customers. The Associated Press report, which involved extensive tests of the Comcast network, revealed the nation’s number two ISP devised a way to block users from uploading files using the BitTorrent application.

Comcast denied the allegations with a written statement: "Comcast does not block access to any Web sites or online applications, including peer-to-peer services like BitTorrent. We have a responsibility to provide all of our customers with a good Internet experience and we use the latest technologies to manage our network so that they can continue to enjoy these applications."

Yet The New York Times quotes one unnamed Comcast executive saying the company uses "data management technologies to conserve bandwidth and allow customers to experience the Internet without delays… As part of that management process the company occasionally – but not always – delays some peer-to-peer file transfers."

This is more bad publicity for Comcast which suffered a related black eye this summer when the company was scrutinized for its policy of giving customers who use too much bandwidth the boot.

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