The FCC and Comcast are about to tango regarding traffic handling, in particular torrents, as both are set to have a hearing at the beginning of next week with the intention to clarify what is and what isn't “reasonable” network management. The hearing will be partly taken in a public forum, allowing certain people to question Comcast's tactics and get answers from their staff along with other “networking experts”.

The outcome of the hearing on Monday won't bring anything new to the table, but it may become a first reference point for ISPs that get in trouble for blocking or slowing certain types of traffic. Reasonable or not, Comcast has flip-flopped on what they did until finally admitting they interfered with traffic. Their response to the community should be watched closely.