Comcast
Contents8
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| Basic information | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1963-06-28 |
| Legal Structure | Public |
| Industry | Cable, Telecommunications |
| Also known as | |
| Official website | https://www.xfinity.com/ |
Comcast is a US-based telecommunications company operating under the Xfinity brand for residential Internet, TV, and phone services.
Consumer-impact summary
In 2014, Comcast was named "Worst Company in America" by The Consumerist.[1] It has frequently been criticized for low customer satisfaction, billing disputes, net neutrality violations, misleading sales practices, and leveraging media ownership to influence competition. In the past consumers reported being billed for things they never requested, confusing billing, and difficulty understanding surcharges like franchise, retransmission, and sports fees.[2][3]
Incidents
This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the Comcast category.
Negative option billing lawsuit (2016)
- Main article: Comcast negative option billing lawsuit
In 2016, the FCC fined Comcast US $2.3 million for charging customers for services or equipment they did not request. This is a practice known as "negative option billing", similar to negative option marketing. Consumers reported having to spend a lot of time to remove the unauthorized charges from their bills and get refunds. The company imposed a five-year compliance plan to adopt processes and procedures designed to obtain affirmative informed consent from customers prior to charging them for any new services or equipment.[4][5]
Time Warner Cable merger concerns (2014)
- Main article: Comcast's proposed merger with Time Warner Cable 2014
In 2024 Comcast proposed to aquire Time Warner Cable, making them being both a content owner (NBCUniversal) and distributor. This proposal raised antitrust concerns, especially by regulators. Comcast has argued previously that its deal with Time Warner Cable is in the public interest. And it has denied anything anticompetitive about the deal since Time Warner Cable and Comcast do not compete directly for broadband or television customers in any markets. [3][6]
BitTorrent throttling controversy (2008)
- Main article: Comcast BitTorrent throttling controversy
Around 2008 Comcast heavily disrupted peer-to peer file sharing traffic (such as BitTorrent). Federal Communications Commission has ordered Comcast to stop throttling the peer-to-peer connections for the sake of net neutrality. By a 3-2 vote, the commission concluded that Comcast monitored the content of its customers’ internet connections and selectively blocked peer-to-peer connections. The enforcement was later overturned in 2010 by federal appeals court. BitTorrent files allowed users to watch high-quality video, "such video distribution poses a potential competitive threat to Comcast’s video-on-demand (VOD) service," the commission said in a statement.[7][8]
Products
- Cable television
- Broadband
- Internet service
- Broadcasting
See also
References
- ↑ "Congratulations To Comcast, Your 2014 Worst Company In America! – Consumerist". Consumerist. 8 Apr 2024. Archived from the original on 1 Dec 2017. Retrieved 25 Mar 2026.
- ↑ "Comcast's Messy Bills Could Finally Get Fixed by Class-Action Lawsuit". Wired. 2016-10-19. Archived from the original on 16 Feb 2026. Retrieved 2025-08-20.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Critics Say Comcast–Time Warner Cable Merger Would Create Monopoly". Time. 2014-02-13. Archived from the original on 16 Aug 2025. Retrieved 2025-08-20.
- ↑ "FCC Fines Comcast \$2.3 Million for Wrongful Billing Practices". Federal Communications Commission. 2016-10-11. Archived from the original on 20 Apr 2025. Retrieved 2025-08-20.
- ↑ Wiquist, Will (11 Oct 2016). "COMCAST TO PAY $2.3 MILLION AFTER SUBSCRIBERS COMPLAIN OF BILLING FOR SERVICES & EQUIPMENT THEY NEVER ORDERED" (PDF). Federal Communications Commission. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 May 2025. Retrieved 25 Mar 2026.
- ↑ Reardon, Marguerite (23 Apr 2015). "Comcast to ditch $45.2B takeover of Time Warner Cable, report says". CNET. Archived from the original on 2 Jul 2022. Retrieved 25 Mar 2026.
- ↑ "Court Overturns FCC Order Against Comcast". Wired. 2010-04-06. Archived from the original on 16 Feb 2026. Retrieved 2025-08-20.
- ↑ Kravets, David (1 Aug 2008). "Comcast Ordered to Allow Free Flow of File Sharing Traffic". Wired. Archived from the original on 10 May 2014. Retrieved 26 Mar 2026.