In a surprise move guaranteed to make torrent lovers currently being throttled even angrier, Comcast has invested in a small P2P company called GridNetworks. This move comes hot on the heels of Comcast being scrutinized by the FCC for its throttling practices relating to BitTorrent users and other P2P enthusiasts.

Comcast has been under fire for its throttling practices for months. It came under even closer scrutiny when it tried negotiating with BitTorrent for more control of P2P traffic, offering in exchange some loosening of throttling practices. Comcast is also under fire for poor quality of service and a tendency toward lost connections when on sites like FaceBook in addition to torrent sites.

Comcast has been working on its image lately, introducing a “persona” to popular social media application Twitter called @comcastcares that basically eavesdrops on Twitter conversations in which the Comcast name is mentioned then works to resolved problems more efficiently. Has the push for good public relations been building up to this surprise move into the P2P arena?

GridNetworks is based in Seattle, Washington. It released a statement saying that it would not disclose the amount of money Comcast invested in the company, but that it could say Comcast and GridNetworks would be working together to make P2P more “ISP friendly”. I don’t know what that would entail, but I’m betting it isn’t good for P2P users.

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Entry was posted on Tuesday, May 20th, 2008 at 6:12 pm under Uncategorized.

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