Why Netflix is paying Comcast for faster Web access  The wound
wasn't mortal, but it was significant. Netflix (NFLX) made the
news this time not for the success of its "House of Cards"
drama, but because it agreed to pay -- millions annually,
according to Bloomberg -- for faster access to Comcast's (CMCSA)
networks.  Why has Netflix joined Google (GOOG) and Facebook
(FB) in paying Comcast for a ticket to the fast lane? Because
the video-streamer had to. Its streaming speeds had been getting
worse for customers using Comcast cable or Verizon (VZ) FiOS
fiber optic service. The results were a far drop from when
Comcast and Verizon were at the top of the Netflix speed
ratings, and that meant the popular video service was taking a
hit. (Will an agreement with Verizon be announced, or simply fly
under the radar?)  The Netflix-Comcast deal shows one aspect of
the lack of open Internet standards. Open Internet, also known
as net neutrality, is a principle under which the companies that
own the big data networks that