FCC wonders if Comcast is discriminating against VoIP providers

Not content to wait until the new administration takes over, the Federal Communications Commission has sent a letter to Comcast asking why heavy bandwidth users might get "choppy" communications using Skype or Vonage, but not on Comcast's own IP-based Digital Voice service. (Also begs the question as to what the whole Comcast/Vonage deal was earlier in the year, hm?)

The FCC chief of the wireline competition bureau and the FCC's general counsel wrote the letter asking for clarification between Comcast's Sept. 19 filing with the Commission and its actual or advertised practices. Comcast says bandwidth hogs may find VoIP calls sounding choppy, but not on its own VoIP offering.

Interestingly, if Comcast Digital Voice is, as described on the company's website, a separate facilities-based IP phone service not affected by Comcast's network management techniques, it would appear Comcast's offering is, by definition, a phone service. If it's a phone service, then Comcast needs to be paying the same fees that regular phone providers do. If it's not a phone service, then it is an Internet service and getting preferential treatment, which could lead to enforcement action - doubly so under a new FCC Chairman.

Comcast has until Jan. 30 to respond to the FCC's inquiry for clarification.

For more:
- PC Magazine covers the latest. Article [1].