Telecom News: FCC Cites Comcast for Violating Open Internet Policy

CWA commended the Federal Communications Commission for its ruling that cited Comcast Communications for violation of the FCC's open Internet policy principles.

By secretly and deliberately blocking transmission of legal peer-to-peer traffic, and without letting customers know it was doing this, Comcast interfered with consumers' rights to access the lawful content of their choice and to run the applications of their choice over the Internet.

Over the past years, CWA has called on the FCC to punish any broadband providers that blocked or degraded consumers' access to content on the Internet, as Comcast did. In a letter to FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, CWA President Larry Cohen called on the FCC to act to protect consumers' rights.

Strong enforcement, as the FCC has shown in this case, will ensure that network operators refrain from similar violations, CWA said following the FCC ruling. The FCC has demonstrated that it will act promptly to address any actions violating consumers' rights regarding the Commission's broadband policy, the union said. 

Maintaining an open Internet is one of CWA's key principles for a national high speed broadband policy.