By Bill Snyder DECEMBER 02, 2010 The Internet at risk: A return to the Ma Bell era Comcast's bullying of Level 3 and Zoom Telephonics reveals the lack of broadband competition that threatens the Internet Back in the bad old days of Ma Bell's ascendancy, you couldn't attach anything to the monopoly's telephone network without express permission: not an answering machine, not an extension, not nothin'. Those days are long gone -- unless you or your users connect to the Internet via Comcast, the giant cable network that delivers television and broadband connectivity to millions of customers. In a stunning display of arrogance, Comcast is stopping Zoom Telephonics from providing cable modems to its subscribers by imposing a ridiculous set of conditions. How ridiculous? In addition to meeting unrealistic standards about heat resistance and packaging, Zoom would be forced to pay business-class airfare and hotel accommodations for Comcast employees who journey to Asia to approve Zoom's modems, according to a complaint filed with the FCC [PDF]. ...... Continua qui: http://www.infoworld.com/d/the-industry-standard/the-internet-risk-return-th...