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Comcast Outlines New Broadband Policy

Posted by timothy on from the knowledge-is-power dept.

Slatterz writes "US cable provider Comcast has presented its long-term solution for managing broadband traffic. The new system is set at putting to bed a minor scandal that erupted around the company when it was found that Comcast deliberately limited traffic for certain applications. The company said that under its new system, traffic will be analyzed every fifteen minutes. Users who are found to be occupying large amounts of bandwidth will be placed at a lower priority for network access behind users with less bandwidth-intensive traffic. The new system will not replace or be related to the company's earlier installment of bandwidth caps, which limited a user's data intake to 250GB per month."

7 of 350 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Dang... by Ethanol-fueled · · Score: 2, Funny

    "...traffic will be analyzed every fifteen minutes."

    Then use trial-and-error to find the sweet spot in Comcast's polling interval and automatically throttle your own traffic every 15 minutes for 1 or 2 minutes at a time ;)

    Of course, that dosen't matter if comcast measures your traffic for 14 consecutive minutes out of the 15 minute polling interval :(

  2. Re:OK, but can we help? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Don't worry, your comcast movie download will get the absolute highest priority. That netflix crap though, that will go into the shit bucket.

  3. Cool! by BigBlueOx · · Score: 5, Funny

    So when NBC or ABC/ESPN/Disney or CBS/Viacom or Sony Pictures or Time Warner comes to me and says "Look at our really great new streaming movie/TV/video service! Pay only $29.95/mo and you can watch anything anyTIME ALL THE TIME!!!", I'll say "Sorry. Can't do streaming video. It puts me in the Comcast doghouse. I just play Nethack."?

    Ok

  4. Now THATS a winning business strategy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    You mean I can get bandwidth caps AND high latency in one premium priced package requiring up-front install fees and a complex long-term commitment that can change at any time?

    What a great deal! Where do I sign up?!?

  5. short version: by Tumbleweed · · Score: 3, Funny

    "Broadband: You can't have any(tm)."

  6. Re:Upgrade so they can throttle? by beowulfy · · Score: 2, Funny

    OK good point. Then can I get a 20% reduction in my bill? That would be too fair I suppose.....

    --
    "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro" -Hunter S. Thompson
  7. Re:Dang... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    never? you'll be slowed down by 25-35%, all the time ^_^