Comcast Whines About How Net Neutrality Is Like 'Groundhog Day' After spending more than a decade and millions of dollars trying to dismantle net neutrality, Comcast this week whined about how the debate over net neutrality never seems to be settled. In a blog post, Comcast likened the net neutrality debate to "groundhog day," largely ignoring that Comcast's relentless assault on consumer protections for consumers are the primary reason this issue hasn't been laid to rest already.

"As the comment period comes to a close in the FCC’s latest review of Open Internet rules, consumers, ISPs, edge providers, and other stakeholders might feel like it is "Groundhog Day," with the same characters weighing in over and over on the same legal and policy issues that the FCC has considered again and again for a decade." said Comcast's top lobbyist David Cohen. Cohen ignores that he and his lobbying friends at Comcast are a major reason why we're stuck on this particular hamster wheel, the company having spent countless millions in dollars and manpower hours to kill net neutrality protections that have broad, bipartisan support among the nation's consumers. It's kind of like Comcast complaining about how the house keeps burning down, when it's the one with the matches in its hand. Comcast's Cohen then gets to his real agenda: pushing a new net neutrality law Cohen knows he and other giant ISP lobbyists will be the ones writing. "While the record strongly supports that the FCC can and should classify broadband as an information service and preserve incentives for innovation, investment, and an open Internet, there is also significant and growing consensus that bipartisan legislation can and should provide a permanent resolution to the unhelpful game of regulatory ping pong and the endless Title II loop that have plagued all stakeholders since at least 2010," said Cohen. Again though, if Comcast doesn't want to play ping pong, it could just put down the paddle. We could simply leave the popular consumer protections and Title II classification alone, an idea supported by a vast majority of the public. Instead, large ISP lobbyists have now started pushing for a new law with the full understanding that Congress is so dysfunctional and corrupt, any legislation is produces on this subject will be notably weaker than the rules already on the books. That's if such a law gets passed at all. If Comcast really wanted to put the net neutrality debate to an end, it could simply listen to the public, sit down, and shut up. If Comcast really wanted to put the net neutrality debate to an end, it could simply listen to the public, sit down, and shut up.







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Most recommended from 25 comments

SunnyD

join:2009-03-20

Madison, AL 14 recommendations SunnyD Member He has a point. Not gonna lie ...



"While the record strongly supports that the FCC can and should classify broadband as an information service and preserve incentives for innovation, investment, and an open Internet, there is also significant and growing consensus that bipartisan legislation can and should provide a permanent resolution to the unhelpful game of regulatory ping pong and the endless Title II loop that have plagued all stakeholders since at least 2010," said Cohen.



... It's the truth to some extent. Legislation would prevent the rules from changing every election cycle where the controlling party flips. But at the same time, now is not the time anyone is going to find this mythical unicorn of "Bipartisan Legislation" either.



The only reason this quagmire has resulted is because of companies like Comcast and AT&T wanting their cake and spending large sums of money to be able to eat it too, money which could be better spent actually shoring up their customer service or making improvements to their infrastructure. But we all knew this already. rradina

join:2000-08-08

Chesterfield, MO 920.3 39.3

·Charter

7 recommendations rradina Member Title II Scares Them The crux of the issue isn't the current rules, it's the Title II reclassification. Despite FCC "light touch" promises, Title II is an irritating big hammer that makes future profit schemes uncertain. They want to monopolize content creation and delivery with impunity. For a future consumer-friendly administration, Title II could be used as a check on their unbridled capitalism schemes.



Who wouldn't want a money tree [consumer] in the back yard that could be harvested "on demand"?

r81984

Fair and Balanced

Premium Member

join:2001-11-14

Katy, TX 5 recommendations r81984 Premium Member Whats the point? Net neutrality and a lot of good things are gone for at least another 3.5 years.

Republicans control everything and they dont care at all about american citizens or consumers. Trump is a huge flip flopper just like every other republican.



The only reason comcast has to spend money is to bribe the politicians, otherwise congress is already on their side. Congress just wants to get paid. Everything you see right now is just for show to cover up all the bribe money.

Unless congress gets bribed by a company for net neutrality, you can consider it is gone. Windfarmer

daeligt kaeligps no mr

join:2015-08-30 4 recommendations Windfarmer Member Listen to the public? That's bad for shareholders, only they have the voice. Aranarth

join:2011-11-04

Stanwood, MI 2 recommendations Aranarth Member stop whining! You are operating in a democracy and "we the people" (the highest law in the land, BTW) DO NOT WANT what you want.



Tough cookie! Now go AWAY! shanghaista

join:2014-08-03

Canton, MA 2 recommendations shanghaista Member Thank Verizon It could've been swept under the rug, until the stupid (literally stupid, in terms of shooting oneself/one's industry in the foot) lawsuits came...