The search-engine giant has unveiled a new plan to determine whether the popular Internet Service Provider is "inappropriately" throttling the bandwidth of consumers and businesses.
Comcast has taken heat from consumers, advocacy groups and the FCC itself in response to its efforts to slow the bandwidth or otherwise limit the Internet access of users.
Their original plan targeted the users of a single application, BitTorrent, and was received so poorly that the FCC told Comcast to knock it off or else. After another failed policy, Comcast has finally settled on a two-tiered Internet access system that moves the busiest users to a slow lane for 15-minute intervals.
Google response is to provide technical support, and lots of it. The Cupertino, Calif.-based company will provide researchers with 36 servers in 12 countries to analyze usage and traffic data.
"When an Internet application doesn't work as expected or your connection seems flaky, how can you tell whether there is a problem caused by your broadband ISP (Internet service provider), the application, your PC, or something else?" said Google's Vint Cerf, promising to help users uncover the problem.
Last October, Comcast started offering what it calls "Extreme 50" Internet speed. Provided they pay enough, consumers will be able to download information at speeds of up to 50MB per second.
For perspective, such speeds would let consumers download a high-definition movie in 16 minutes and a standard definition movie in five minutes. Consumers will be able to buy this service for will cost $139.95 a month, while businesses will have to pay $189.95 per month.
