Comcast Will Fire Employees For Admitting That Comcast Uses Sandvine?
from the what-are-you-hiding? dept
We still can't figure out why Comcast doesn't just come right out and admit what it's doing in jamming certain kinds of traffic. It's not like it's a secret any more -- and the longer Comcast tries to play dumb on this, the worse it looks for the company. The oddest part, though, is that Comcast won't even admit that it's using Sandvine's traffic shaping equipment -- even though Sandvine clearly lists Comcast as a customer and has used them as a reference customer in news articles. Even worse, though is that Comcast has apparently now issued a bunch of ridiculous talking points to customer service reps about this issue. Apparently, the customer service folks are being told that if they deviate from the script, they risk getting terminated. The script even includes how to respond to a point blank question about Sandvine, refusing to admit what appears to be public knowledge at this point. It's not at all clear what Comcast thinks it gains in acting this way. It seems to have only made an awful lot of customers quite angry at the company. Lucky for Comcast, though, that the US broadband market is such a disaster many customers have nowhere else to go.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Filed Under: bittorrent, jamming
Companies: comcast, sandvine
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
Whoa is me...
If only we had some sort of free market where natural competition would take care of the consumer. Instead, all I've done so far is write them some emails and hoping that enough of them come in that they'll at least acknowledge this.
BTW - if anyone has any other options for another ISP I'm all ears, I'd cancel the whole thing except I work from home quite a bit.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Whoa is me...
The speed is acceptable, as is the pricing for the service.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Whoa is me...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: Whoa is me...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: Re: Whoa is me...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: Re: Whoa is me...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: Whoa is me...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: Re: Whoa is me...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: Whoa is me...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Whoa is me...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: Whoa is me...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: Whoa is me...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Whoa is me...
As is standard with other Internet Service Providers, WildBlue ensures that its service operates at optimum speeds for all of its customers. Since WildBlue is a shared network, we have a Fair Access Policy to ensure that extraordinary usage by a few customers doesn't negatively affect the normal usage of other customers. For the vast majority of users, the Fair Access Policy has no effect on their usage. For a few very heavy bandwidth users, the system may restrict their bandwidth and therefore their speed. See WildBlue's Fair Access Policy.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Whoa is me...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Whoa is me...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Whoa is me...
You probably won't like this but... what about DIAL-UP? Without knowing where "your neck of the woods" is it would be hard to suggest viable options.
If you are having this dilemma, then your neighbors probably are too. Couldn't you guys pitch in for a T1 or satellite internet service? Then you guys could manage your own network.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Whoa is me...
You don't have to have line of sight for wireless like Verizon or Sprint or T-Mobile wireless networking. You may want to look that way again (technologies are always improving.)
Hope this helps!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Yep, that is normal
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Follow the money
My guess is money. A contract was agreed, some money has changed hands, Comcast are under contract to block p2p so have to continue regardless.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Follow the money
Or they may just revert to raving madmen and blame the president.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Are you kidding?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Are you kidding?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Are you kidding?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: Are you kidding?
There's not a spit's worth of difference
between the two major political parties
or their administrations. If either of
them cared half as much about the country
as they do for their party we'd be much
better off.
Back on topic... Hey, how about the billions
of dollars in federal funds spent to improve
internet connectivity in rural areas? My,
that worked out well.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: Re: Are you kidding?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Are you kidding?
Cable issues linked back to the Bush White House -- You loons are wild. And suggesting that the President should be executed is a real crime. You should watch what you say Neal.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Are you kidding?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
p2p or hollywood... tough choice for comcast
however, their core business is cable, meaning they need content deals from hollywood.
hollywood hates p2p, so comcast must hate p2p as well lest it lose out on sweet content deals from hollywood.
so, comcast has to decide between p2p and internet access sales, or hollywood and content deals. i'll bet they make more from cable TV, hence the blocking of P2P.
they won't admit it because p2p is the reason that half of their internet service customers are signed up in the first place.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Another Option
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Wow just wow...
http://www.dslreports.com/forum/wildblue Over thousands of posts on how bad it sucks..
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Fios
Whether someone uses BT for legal or illegal purposes is up to them- Comcast shouldn't have to block it. And if they are forced to due to some agreement with Hollywood, they should state so. Paying 50 dollars a month only to find out after the fact that you're getting crippled services is unacceptable. God help me if Fios follows suit....
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Fios
..."
Yup - I dropped Cox Communications last month in favor of Verizon FiOS. See my post here: http://blog.chronofish.com/?p=91
-CF
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
comcast
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: comcast
I get the feeling even working for Comcast (CSR - Bay Area, CA) that they don't really care about the service they provide just as long as people just bend over and take it in the arse. IMHO, I feel violated with this policy. No ISP should have the right to comb through my traffic and decide what should be delivered or what should be rejected or delayed. Imagine what it would be like if the US Postal Service started reading the return addresses on my mail and determining which mail I should be receiving and what I should not. I would boycott Comcast for this but unfortunately in my city at&t hasn't done a U-Verse rollout and their DSL sucks. And I say this despite getting the 8.0 Mbps account for $10/month as an employee.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: comcast
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Firing Employees
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
execution
That suggestion implies two things in his case, he is removed from office for his crimes - meaning he would no longer be president, and that he is tried and convicted of the crimes he's committed against this country. There is nothing criminal, nothing illegal, about my suggestion.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Comcast
If you were hired today as a consultant for Comcast PR and Corporate Communications, what would you do?
I'm holding this survey over at: http://jburg.typepad.com/future/2007/10/open-survey---i.html.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Nuts to Comcast
Also, Bush/Cheney 2008 - why obey the laws now!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]