Netflix Partner Says Comcast ‘Toll’ Threatens Online Video Delivery

[babsbunny]

http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/29/netflix-partner-says-comcast-toll-threatens-online-video-delivery/?scp=2&sq=netflix&st=cse

By BRIAN STELTER

9:45 p.m. | Updated

Level 3 Communications, a central partner in the Netflix online movie service, accused Comcast on Monday of charging a new fee that puts Internet video companies at a competitive disadvantage.

Level 3, which helps to deliver Netflix’s streaming movies, said Comcast had effectively erected a tollbooth that “threatens the open Internet,” and indicated that it would seek government intervention. Comcast quickly denied that the clash had anything to do with network neutrality, instead calling it “a simple commercial dispute.”

The dispute highlighted the growing importance of Internet video delivery — an area that some people say needs to be monitored more closely by regulators. Net neutrality, which posits that Internet traffic should be free of any interference from network operators like Comcast, is thought to be on the December agenda of the Federal Communications Commission.

[Subdivisions]

1. I want Netflix to know that I'm very happy with their snail-mail delivery

and I will support them no matter what. Luckily I'm not on Comcast. And I'm watching every move Charter makes. Their cable TV service is already on my last nerve. If they try to pull this shit, I'll get my movies out of my mail box.

[Barack_America]

2. We stream Netflix over the internet. And we have Comcast internet, which sucks.

We'd be more than happy for Comcast to give us reason to switch providers.

[msongs]

3. internet nees to be a public utlity with rules 4 providers or they cant provide nt