The F.C.C. upheld the complaint against Comcast, which it said had illegally inhibited users of its high-speed Internet service from using popular file-sharing software.

Comcast was ordered to change how it manages its broadband network after the F.C.C. said some of its tactics unreasonably restricted users who share movies and other material.

The nation’s largest cable operator reported an 8 percent profit increase in the second quarter and took market share from rival phone companies.

Comcast said its second-quarter profit rose 8 percent as cable TV rates rose and consumers ordered more digital and premium services.

Some customers like the company’s responses to online criticism; others see an eerie version of “Big Brother.”

Some customers like the company’s responses to online criticism; others say it’s an eerie version of “Big Brother.”

Comcast is reaching out to customers who complain about its service online. Some like it; others say it’s an annoying, sometimes eerie version of “Big Brother.”

Kevin J. Martin’s recommendation is a strong statement in favor of network neutrality, the idea that Internet access providers should not be allowed to favor some uses of their networks over others.

The move stems from a complaint that Comcast had blocked Internet traffic among users of a certain type of software that allowed them to exchange large amounts of data.

In an industry first, Sony Pictures’ movie “Hancock,” will be available after its theater run over the Internet, directly to Sony Bravia TVs with a Web connection.