But they say they use such methods only to allow their customers to reach desired destinations more quickly, and not as a way to degrade connections to competitors. We could block whole networks if we wanted, but the outcry would be phenomenal and the stupidity of it would be huge. Last month, the chief executives of AOL and Time Warner, Steve Case and Gerald M. Levin, responded to a query from the senators with a written pledge they would not discriminate. Cable industry officials noted that the senators allege no instances of actual discrimination but merely highlight the capabilities of their technology.
People pay for cable modems to get faster service with access to everything.
Limiting access just doesn't make sense. It has since apologized. In its filing today, the National Association of Broadcasters plans to ask the FCC to condition approval of the AOL-Time Warner deal on rules barring the new company from discriminating against rival programming. Disney is expected to make a separate filing. In yesterday's letter, DeWine and Kohl focused on what they portrayed as a far more subtle manifestation of cable's reach.