AfterDawn: News

Netflix CEO goes on rant against Comcast bandwidth caps, net neutrality stance

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings ranted to his 120,000 Facebook subscribers today about Comcast and their bandwidth caps and overall approach to net neutrality.

The rant came about because Comcast's streaming Xfinity service does not count against the ISP's bandwidth caps, while other similar services (like Netflix, for example), do.



Reads the post:

Comcast is no longer following net neutrality principles. Comcast should apply caps equally, or not at all.

I spent the weekend enjoying four good internet video apps on my Xbox: Netflix, HBO GO, Xfinity, and Hulu.

When I watch video on my Xbox from three of these four apps, it counts against my Comcast internet cap. When I watch through Comcast's Xfinity app, however, it does not count against my Comcast internet cap.

For example, if I watch last night's SNL episode on my Xbox through the Hulu app, it eats up about one gigabyte of my cap, but if I watch that same episode through the Xfinity Xbox app, it doesn't use up my cap at all.

The same device, the same IP address, the same wifi, the same internet connection, but totally different cap treatment.

In what way is this neutral?

This is not even the first time Hastings has ranted about Comcast and its stance, and likely not the last time.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 15 Apr 2012 22:35

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• 7 comments

• Hopium

  you got the money and the platform to be heard.. do something about it.

  16.4.2012 00:19 #1

• xaznboitx

  people smart they would shut up, might be a glitch and they might patch it to make it counts towards it
  

  16.4.2012 08:03 #2

• Mysttic

  Glitch? lol, the media could be encoded differently resulting in size variance. I don't think there should be caps on the internet at all, personally; it's mostly there to have an excuse to make $ on overage, and ISPs make lots.
  
  As for what Netflex can do about it, what should they do about it? He's talking the good fight, that's a start.
  
  Quote:you got the money and the platform to be heard.. do something about it. Big talk, but nothing emerges from this one sentence. What would you propose they do? Start their own ISP? It costs billions in infrastructure alone, the type of $ that netflix surely doesn't have.
  
  Promote, market and spread the message? That's what he's doing currently and you criticize it without anything to back it.
  
  Take out the competition? How? Could develop a stand alone Netflix set top box but it would still require a net connection, so that doesn't resolve the issue discussed here.
  
  All I can say is, if people are happy with their caps and how the industry is changing to end unlimited plans on anything; than good for you. Others however see it for what it is, and this article nails it, it's far from neutral and its far from reasonable to expects consumers to front for it.

  16.4.2012 09:24 #3

• hearme0

  Yet again.........Comcast showing exactly why they are among the top five (Always been #1 to me) most hated companies. Poor service, outages like crazy, garbage DVRs that fail constantly, subcontracted and subpar, bottom-of-the-barrel tech support from their Canadian branch (no offense to Canadians), high priced and under serviced and an all out greedy company.
  
  Though I'd be sad for the employees of Comcast if they were to fold..........I'd truly be happy to rid ourselves of a company that gives American business a bad rep.

  16.4.2012 13:43 #4

• Hopium

  Originally posted by Mysttic: Glitch? lol, the media could be encoded differently resulting in size variance. I don't think there should be caps on the internet at all, personally; it's mostly there to have an excuse to make $ on overage, and ISPs make lots.
  
  As for what Netflex can do about it, what should they do about it? He's talking the good fight, that's a start.
  
  Quote:you got the money and the platform to be heard.. do something about it. Big talk, but nothing emerges from this one sentence. What would you propose they do? Start their own ISP? It costs billions in infrastructure alone, the type of $ that netflix surely doesn't have.
  
  Promote, market and spread the message? That's what he's doing currently and you criticize it without anything to back it.
  
  Take out the competition? How? Could develop a stand alone Netflix set top box but it would still require a net connection, so that doesn't resolve the issue discussed here.
  
  All I can say is, if people are happy with their caps and how the industry is changing to end unlimited plans on anything; than good for you. Others however see it for what it is, and this article nails it, it's far from neutral and its far from reasonable to expects consumers to front for it. its called subpoena the fcc to investigate unfair practices. comcast is giving themselves a competitive advantage in the streaming media business.

  16.4.2012 18:18 #5

• Mez

  Everyone wants a freebe. Comcast doesn't count their own streaming against the count. I bet Netflix could make a deal with Comcast. Instead they figure it is cheaper to sue. Their lawyers are already getting paid so it is no cost to them.

  20.4.2012 09:57 #6

• rockjockey

  More CEO's should speak out or this will continue with all big telco's and cable. Congress already knows this is going on but turns away like it doesn't exist.The FCC is powerless and we are all at the mercy of big business.

  20.4.2012 13:07 #7