Comcast, the cable giant demands unfair fees for providing video feeds to home subscribers as alleged by one online networking company that carries video feeds for Netflix. This incident has raised doubts regarding Comcast's power in controlling customers' access to the Internet.

Another Colorado based Internet Company named Level 3 Communications who has the movie rental company Netflix as one of its clients stated that Comcast's action is like setting up a tax paying booth on the Internet.

The issue cooked up in a time when Federal regulators are considering the proposal of purchase given by Comcast for acquiring controlling interest in NBC Universal. According to Comcast's rivals from that acquisition Comcast will get too much of power over programming and the ways to distribute it.

The chief legal officer of Level 3, Thomas Stortz stated that the action of Comcast threatened the open Internet and the firm is misusing its power of control in the broadband access markets as it is the biggest cable provider of the country.

The claim of Level 3 got disputed by Comcast as it said that the fees demanded by the firm has no relation to the content that Level 3 wants to deliver to customers.

Joe Waz, the senior vice president of Comcast stated that the firm had offered Level 3 the same terms and conditions that are offered to competitors of Level 3 for the same traffic. He further stated that Level 3 wants to get treated in a different manner than that of its rivals and forcing Comcast to provide them with unlimited traffic and it further wants the cost to be bore by Comcast and customers.

The charges were brought in a time when the cable major based in Philadelphia was looking forward to wrap up its review for the merger with NBC Universal.