Comcast says that it will experiment with a new method of managing traffic to thousands of customers in Chambersburg, Pa., and Warrenton, Va. The new method will not target file-sharing, but would focus on individual heavy Internet users – no matter what they are doing, says the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Comcast is facing a potentially heavy fine from the FCC for (possibly) improperly interfering with Internet traffic, and they’re hoping that this new “protocol-agnostic” method will be more palatable.

It sounds like bad news for heavy users, however:

The new Internet traffic method will put the online traffic of ordinary Internet users ahead of heavy users at certain times to maintain overall Internet speeds, Douglas said. Thus, the Internet experience for heavy users – so-called Internet hogs – could slow during periods of Internet congestion.

If successful, Comcast will implement it throughout the system by the end of the year.

Comcast to test ‘Internet hog’ controls [Philly.com]
(Photo: cmorran123 )

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