Capped Internet

[Keith]

I predict it's here in the USA full force in < 5 years. I also foresee it being the path for ISP's to network with certain websites and declare bandwidth to them not to count similar to cell phone "family plans".

200GB to 25GB: Canada gets first, bitter dose of metered Internet

[Brian]

The reasoning behind this isn't jumping out at me. I saw the "conserve bandwidth" for the last mile argument, but that doesn't make sense, either. If the objective is to raise capital to improve to-the-home infrastructure, fine. They should just say so. Once that's in place, prices will probably fall again. But to levy the cap as a disincentive to using the service rather than planning to improve the service isn't too bright.

This appears to be DSL and maybe dial-up only. This may be a win for Rogers cable-based ISP. But even Rogers has a 175G cap for their highest-end service. That stinks!

One wonders what influence 3G/4G mobile phone ISPs have with the Canadian powers that be that established these caps....

[Motorcharge]

As much as I'm online nothing scares me more than Obama's new ideas for the internet. I can't even stress how much I hope he doesn't get re-elected so he can't touch it. ISP's in this country are bad enough as it is without Federal involvement.

I wish they'd all screw off and just let the internet be. I want to pay an ISP for exactly what their name is, internet service. Access, nothing more, nothing less.

[RedJeepXJ]

^^^^^
you do realize comcast is already doing this right?

Originally Posted by Brian

This appears to be DSL and maybe dial-up only. This may be a win for Rogers cable-based ISP. But even Rogers has a 175G cap for their highest-end service. That stinks!

comcast already has a cap in place as well, and of course they have no tools to warn you when you get near the cap or let you check on your usage

the conserving bandwidth is a joke, it's not a resource to be depleted, the bandwidth only exists for this one millisecond in time, what isn't used is lost forever. We already have fairly slow internet compared to much of western europe (which I am sure has more regulation), what this really translates to is that the ISP's want to advertise the highest speeds, get the customers and money and not provide the service

if comcast can't provide what they state then they need to reduce their listed speeds, if they cannot serve 12 Mbit then they need to advertise 3Mbit and reduce accordingly.

If a restaurant said they had the best rolls and they were unlimited and free with a meal and the you asked for a third and they got pissed and said "no more, you've had more then most people do" we would get pissed, but for some reason that is ok for an ISP to do...

cable is killing itself due to squeezing every last short term profit out of it.

land phone lines did the same as they never lowered prices to compete with cell phones

news agencies lost viewers when they went to wire services instead of their own in depth journalism for short term profits

and now the internet as we know it is at risk due to this short term profit taking instead of improving their networks

Originally Posted by Keith

I predict...

Hey Keith, Can you check your pm's? I sent you an pm about my jeepforum account a while ago, Thanks

[RedJeepXJ]

and to further show how absurd the price of internet overage charges are: (keep in mind this comparison is for super expensive per gigabyte SSD's)

their caps appear to be at only 25gb which does not take much to hit at all, especially if you use netflix or something similar

[Funetical]

Seems a revolution might be in order Canada.

[Brian]

Originally Posted by RedJeepXJ

comcast already has a cap in place as well, and of course they have no tools to warn you when you get near the cap or let you check on your usage

Why am I not surprised? That really sucks.

I use Time-Warner cable and found this on wiki:

In the summer of 2008, Time Warner Cable began testing a bandwidth cap of 40GB in Beaumont, TX. If testing were successful, they would bring the cap to additional cities.

Despite raising prices of its internet service within the last year, Time Warner Cable announced in February 2009 that it would expand its bandwidth caps and overage fees into four additional markets by the end of the year.

On April 1, 2009, the cities to have metered billing were announced. In addition to Beaumont, Texas, the cities would be Rochester, NY [lucky, aren't I?], Austin and San Antonio, TX and Greensboro, NC.

These metered based billing plans were canceled according to Time Warner "due to customer misunderstanding".

Caps would range from 5 GB to 100GB with no unlimited option. The bandwidth will include downloads and uploads. If a user goes over, they will be charged $1 per additional gigabyte. Time Warner Cable announced they would provide a meter for users to monitor their usage. The new plan was set to begin in the summer of 2009, however due to protests they had decided against the bandwidth caps. Currently, users have unlimited bandwidth usage. Time Warner would have offered unlimited data for $150/month had the plan continued.

CEO Glenn Britt justified the new billing plans, claiming the infrastructures had to be continuously upgraded and users would pay for how much they use.

"Customer misunderstanding"? No, "customers ready to tell you to go pound sand and shove your ISP service where the sun don't shine" is more like it.

Here's to hoping Time-Warner doesn't try this genius scheme again anytime soon.

[Brian]

Originally Posted by Funetical

Seems a revolution might be in order Canada.

I was thinking "market opportunity", actually.

[Keith]

The issue is starting a competing telecom company is getting to the point investment wise to not even being an option.

I mean to start a telecom company, don't you even need Government approval. You cannot lay all new lines I assume? You would have to buy into the Level 1 providers.

[Motorcharge]

Originally Posted by RedJeepXJ

^^^^^
you do realize comcast is already doing this right?

Oh I'm well aware of all Comcast's total bull****. I've been ranting about them for years and if there was another cable option in my area I'd be all over it. But for now the only other option is DSL since Verizon hasn't done any of the Fios work in my area of the city.