• January 15, 2008

The Federal Communications Commission on Monday asked for public comment on whether its guidelines on network neutrality would prevent Internet network operators from discriminating against certain applications used over their networks, reported The Associated Press.

The decision by the FCC to seek comment comes against a backdrop of allegations by public interest groups and software companies that Comcast Corp. had been preventing a file-sharing software application from being used effectively over its broadband network last year.

Last week, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said the agency would investigate the claims that the alleged action by Comcast violated its guidelines in the area, known as network neutrality.

Monday's notices from the agency don't mention Comcast by name. But if as a result of the query, the FCC concludes that such a practice violated existing rules or passed a new rule to prevent it, there could be implications for not only Comcast but other large network operators like AT&T Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc.

--Tanya Irwin