A US Senator is pressurizing the Federal Communications Commission to look into Comcast’s Xbox 360 policy.
Democratic Senator Al Franken has asked the FCC to investigate into the platform that lets Comcast subscribers stream video content directly from their Xbox 360s. Since the launch of the service, there have been many questions about whether it follows the principles of net neutrality. Comcast allows its existing cable subscribers to stream unlimited video using the Xfinity app available for Microsoft’s Xbox 360 console.
In order to access the platform, users have to be connected online to the console via their Comcast broadband connection. However, there is no limit on the consumption of video content from this platform since the data consumed will not be adjusted towards their monthly allotment in their Comcast broadband subscription. Bottomline: Comcast seems to treat the video content offered on its platform differently compared to other online content downloaded by the user.
The net neutrality policies of the FCC would ordinarily prohibit such discrimination of content, but Comcast seems to have found a loophole. This service is provided on the cable provider’s own private IP network, which is free from restrictions imposed by FCC’s net neutrality policies.
However, Senator Al Franken remains adamant and demands an investigation into the matter. According to him, even if this does not qualify as a technical violation, it does raise doubts about the manner in which Comcast favors its own content and services at the expense of its competitors.
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