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Netflix's (NFLX) CEO Hastings Says Comcast (CMCSA) Not Playing Fair with Broadband Caps

April 16, 2012 9:05 AM EDT
Netflix (Nasdaq: NFLX) CEO Reed Hastings is going at it again, saying Comcast (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is basically screwing over its customers -- as well as customers of streaming video services -- by not practicing proper net neutrality with its broadband usage rules.

Watching services like his own, Hulu, HBO Go, and Xfinity (of Comcast) over the weekend on his Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) Xbox, Hastings complained on his Facebook (Nasdaq: FB) page that Comcast is not following net neutrality practices. Watching content on three of the apps (Hulu, Netflix, and HBO Go) on the Xbox means users are eroding their monthly allotment of broadband. However, watching the same services through he Xfinity app will not count toward a users broadband cap.

He noted watching an episode of SNL through Hulu gobbled up X amount of broadband while watching the same episode through Xfinity did not. Nothing about Hastings' setup -- IP address, console, Wi-Fi -- changed, just the charges were different.

Earlier in April, Hastings made a similar complaint in not being able to watch HBO Go.

Hastings obviously has a vested interest in the rates which users are charged for watching streaming media. Whether or not his voice will be heard by clients, who will then "stick it to Comcast" via cancelling their subscriptions, is yet to be seen.

Netflix shares are indicated higher Monday.


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