Comcast has responded to allegations that it privileges content
for its Xfinity app for the Xbox 360 over competitors like
Netflix, claiming that it does not prioritize its own content
and that it is in compliance with the FCC's open internet
principles. Comcast says that the Xbox 360 "essentially acts as
an additional cable box for your existing cable service," and
that it sends the content on a managed network that's separate
from its traditional cable delivery service. The ISP says that
it provides "separate, additional bandwidth flow into the home
for the use of this service — above and beyond, and distinct
from, the bandwidth a customer has for his or her regular
internet access service." Comcast stresses that "in contrast to
some other providers, we are not prioritizing our transmission
of Xfinity TV content to the Xbox." This isn't likely to be the
last word on Comcast's network management practices, so stay
tuned: we'll be tracking this story closely as it develops.