Good afternoon Mr. Chairman and Commissioners. Thank you for the opportunity to address you on network management by high-speed Internet Access Providers. A brief summary of my main points is in order here.
First, providing Internet Access implies adherence to a set of standard technical protocols and technical practices that are essential for the world-wide Internet to work for all its users.
Second, variances from those standard protocols and practices damages the Internet as a whole, and all of its users.
Third, there are standard, industry-accepted processes for resolving problems that come up as the Internet evolves, including disclosure of measurement data, discussion and joint definition of new protocols, etc.
Because of these points, Comcast's secretive attempt to apply non-standard management practices creates serious problems. Survival of the Internet requires that Internet Access Providers continue to take a proper, transparent role as participants in the Internet.
While I would like to see that happen without regulation, Comcast's deception of its own customers in this matter suggests to me a need for stronger intervention that will discourage such Internet Access Providers with exclusive franchises from the temptation to degrade the Internet by selectively damaging their customers' ability to use the full capabilities of the Internet.
Internet Access Providers do not create the Internet for their customers, instead they provide access to a larger collective system, of which they are a small part.
