Comcast to Throttle Heavy Internet Users Up to 20 Min

New “Fair Share” plan would leave users with Internet speeds equivalent to “a really good DSL experience” as it tries to figure out how to mange network traffic after FCC ruling that it can’t single out specific applications and services like BitTorrent.

Comcast just can’t seem to figure out how to properly manage network traffic without angering Internet subscribers. First it was their decision to throttle BitTorrent users, a plan that the FCC ultimately found violated that agency’s principles of “unfettered access.” Now it’s their plan to reduce Internet connection speeds for heavy users regardless of application or service being used.

Tentatively dubbed “Fair Share,” the plan will target the heaviest bandwidth users during periods of network traffic congestion and reduce their connection speeds for anywhere from between 10 and 20 minutes. Afterwards it would return to normal. Throttled users will find themselves relegated to “a really good DSL experience,” according to Mitch Bowling, Comcast’s senior VP and general manager of online services.

“Fair Share” will determine “in nearly real time” whether congestion is caused by a heavy user, he said. “If in fact a person is generating enough packets that they’re the ones creating that situation, we will manage that consumer for the overall good of all of our consumers.”

Comcast is also evaluating a 250GB p/mo data cap and increased DMCA enforcement.

At least the plan doesn’t single out BitTorrent or P2P in general, but it makes you wonder how often your use of such applications will deem you a “heavy user.” If you’re paying $60 bucks a month for 1.5 MB/s DL and 250kB/s UL connection speeds isn’t it kind of false advertising to say that you only really get them when an ISP’s network can handle it?

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1. Comcast Quits Throttling BitTorrent, Targets Heavy Users Instead
2. FCC Gives Comcast 30 Days to Comply with Penalties for Throttling BitTorrent
3. Comcast to FCC: ‘Yes, We Throttle BitTorrent Traffic, but So What?’
4. It’s Official, Comcast to Have 250GB Data Cap Starting Oct 1st
5. FCC – Comcast Was Wrong to Throttle, but Prioritizing Packets is Fine