FCC Rules Against Comcast to Enforce Net Neutrality

by: Matt Stoller

Sat Jul 26, 2008 at 09:13

A bipartisan majority of the Federal Communications Commission has reportedly voted to punish Comcast, the nation’s largest cable company, for blocking consumers’ access to the open Internet.

According to press reports, Commissioners Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein have voted with Chairman Kevin Martin for an “enforcement order” that would require Comcast to stop blocking and publicly disclose its network management practices. The order is adopted once all five commissioners have cast their votes.

Our friends at the FCC, Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein, helped form part of a 3-2 majority to punish Comcast.  The FCC is a regulatory body run by 5 commissioners, 3 Republicans and 2 Democrats.  Like many agencies, the party that holds the White House holds the majority on the FCC.  Kevin Martin, the Republican chair, voted with us on this one because he is terrified of Ed Markey, Congressional oversight, and the millions of people watching him.  

It’s a significant precedent for this body to punish a large corporation.  The FCC just does’t do that, if you know what I mean.  And the commission did it under Republican leadership, so just wait until there’s a Democrat in the White House, one who is actually with us on a universal internet.