WSJ: FCC to Rule Against Comcast on P2P Blockage (But We’re Still Screwed)

Confirming what’s been hinted at by FCC Chairman Kevin Martin since like the dawn of time, the WSJ is reporting that the FCC is going to rule on Friday that Comcast violated federal policy by by stalling BitTorrent connections. From there, it gets ugly.

The FCC decision will basically tell Comcast to stop blocking BitTorrent and to disclose its practices to consumers (both are sorta moot points). It’ll be challenged in court, which will take a long time and be messy, and either confirm or (most probably) deny the FCC’s power to tell ISPs what to do.

The end result though, and what we’re already seeing, is that ISPs will move away from network filters and get into data caps–which are FCC approved. Or at least, not disapproved. So, we’ve won–Comcast is getting thrashed–but we really haven’t. [WSJ]