This report from the Wall Street Journal predicts an imminent victory for supporters of Net Neutrality, not just because Comcast may have to pony us some money but because it will establish precedent.
The Federal Communications Commission is on the verge of finding Comcast Corp. violated federal policy by hampering the ability of customers to share huge files on the web, a decision that would set a precedent over how much control phone and cable companies have over how consumers use the World wide web.
On Friday afternoon, three of five FCC commissioners had voted in favor of an item that finds the cable giant violated federal policy by slowing or blocking some Internet traffic over file-sharing services, according to FCC officials. That virtually guarantees approval of the item, even if the other two other FCC commissioners vote against it.
One important caveat: FCC might or might not have the authority to levy any punishment against Comcast or make any rules about how ISPs manage traffic on their networks.
Comcast and others in the cable industry have made noises about possibly challenging the FCC’s actions in court, although it’s not entirely clear yet what legal authority the agency is using to back up its actions. A Comcast spokeswoman declined to comment about possible litigation.
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