Comcast Denies Blocking P2P File Transfers

Despite tests by both AP and the Electronic Frontier Frontier (EFF), Comcast Monday again denied that it is blocking certain types of P2P file transfer. You may recall they also denied this in August. But in the face of tests that indicate that they are (in the words of the EFF) "forging TCP RST [reset] packets, which cause connections to drop," they continue to deny it.

Instead, Comcast said that because of the demands of certain types of P2P file transfers, their bandwidth management technologies may slow such a service as part of a technique known in the industry as bandwidth shaping. In a statement, a spokesperson said, "Comcast does not block access to any Web sites or online applications, including peer-to-peer services like BitTorrent. 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."

One of the big problem here is that Comcast is so secretive about the limitations they place on their so-called unlimited service. For example, it's well-known that Comcast has limits on the amount of usage they will allow each month, yet they refuse to publish those numbers.

In this case, such traffic limitations would go against the concept of net neutrality, one of the founding principles of the Internet --- that all data is treated the same. Additionally, what did we truly expect them to do? Admit it?