Netflix's Reed Hastings Speaks Out Against Comcast Again
posted Saturday May 31, 2014 by Scott Ertz
One of the interesting things about Netflix CEO Reed Hastings is the fact that he's not afraid to say what he thinks. Over the past couple of months the thing he's been thinking about is net neutrality. This is been at the top of his mind because of the situation he's gotten into with some of the Internet providers. The service he has the most trouble with is Comcast.
This week at Re/code's Code Conference, he said what he was thinking once again. Once again, Comcast was the target of his frustrations. He calls out Comcast for what he considers to be "double dipping." By that he means Comcast charges both the subscribers and Netflix for the same Internet access.
They want the whole Internet to pay them for when their subscribers use the Internet. Should Comcast be able to charge everyone else for access to their subscribers?
He says the price Netflix is currently paying to keep their speeds high on some of the larger ISPs doesn't hurt them yet. However, if you're a cable subscriber, you know that the cable companies have a tendency to increase prices as time goes on. He feels that Netflix will become a victim of this same situation subscribers already go through.
In the past, Hastings has spoken out on the proposed merger of Comcast and Time Warner Cable. He believes that the merger will only lead to more situations like this. It will certainly increase the amount that Netflix have to pay to Comcast to get their speeds up, as Comcast's subscriber count will increase dramatically.
Another recent concern has come from AT&T's announced plans to acquire DirecTV. This move could also help to consolidate the broadband market, making prices go up. Those increased prices could affect both you and Netflix. As we know, as Netflix's cost goes up, so does their monthly price. All of these topics are what the FCC is trying to address with the net neutrality regulations.
Do you think Comcast should be able to charge for access in both directions, or should direct subscribers be the only ones subjected to fees? Let us know in the comments.
