Netflix has filed a 256-page petition with the FCC asking the regulator to deny the proposed Comcast-Time Warner Cable because it would cause “serious public interest harm.”
FROM EARLIER: Netflix rails against ISPs even as it agrees to pay off yet another one for better connections
Netflix has defended Net Neutrality numerous times before, all the while having to ink interconnect deals with four major ISPs (including Comcast and TWC) to ensure its customers get an enjoyable movie streaming experience.
In its lengthy FCC petition, Netflix explains that a Comcast-TWC giant would have huge leverage over Netflix, Hulu and other competing providers, as it would not only be in a position to charge these services fees for faster service, but also provide competing video-on-demand services of its own which could further hurt video streaming companies, Engadget reports
Netflix also said that Comcast and TWC’s claims that there is enough competition in the business are disingenuous, as in many markets there’s no such competition, and DSL Internet service from AT&T and Verizon isn’t enough for Netflix video streaming.
This lack of competition will further put Comcast-TWC in a position in which it could intentionally slow traffic in “terminating networks,” where content moves from one network to the ISP’s to ask more money from a content service provider in exchange for better traffic.
Engadget points out that Dish has also petitioned the FCC against the same proposed merger, similarly highlighting the negative aspects of the Comcast-TWC deal.
