Net Neutrality: AT&T, Comcast Fight Same Battle on Different Fronts

That old net neutrality debate made a comeback Fri. As AT&T chmn/CEO Randall Stephenson railed against government interference in the Web space during the ’07 Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco, Comcast was busy controlling potential damage from an accusatory AP article alleging the MSO interferes with online file-sharing. The media outlet claimed its own in-house test showed that Comcast’s technology blocked peer-to-peer sharing of certain content, an action used by net neutrality proponents as a key argument for government intervention. Watchdog group Public Knowledge was quick to attack. “This is the latest in a series of bad examples of how big broadband companies are treating consumers and abusing their power… Congress has to act to preserve an open and non-discriminatory Internet,” said pres Gigi Sohn. Comcast denied blocking the content, instead characterizing the test result as an isolated byproduct of consumer-friendly tech. “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,” said the MSO. Meanwhile, Stephenson admonished the government to “get the heck out of telecom unless you see a problem,” citing public policy as a major deterrent to US broadband growth. Stephenson said that while most everyone wants the Internet to flourish, technology is far outpacing Web-governing decrees. Somewhere along the way the rules “got all dorked up and [now] nobody will invest in [broadband] businesses,” he said.