FCC dealt significant blow in net neutrality ruling favoring Comcast

Subject: txt lbrty othr cali -
A federal appeals court on Tuesday dealt a significant blow to the Obama administration and net neutrality advocates, ruling that the Federal Communications Commission has no authority to regulate how Web providers manage their network traffic.

The decision overturns the FCC's order in 2008 that Comcast cease blocking subscribers' peer-to-peer file sharing applications, including BitTorrent, which the company said had over-burdened its strapped broadband network and slowed users' connections.

The ruling is a setback for lawmakers -- including Sens. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) as well as Reps. Rick Boucher (D-Va.), Henry Waxman (D-Calif.)

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