Eat Me
join:2002-09-25
Sussex, NJ
 ·PenTeleData
 ·Future Nine Corpor..
·VOIPo
·Vonage
| Remember the 90s
Your internet access was billed by the hour.
When broadband came about, it was "unlimited" by default.
I do believe that they either didn't think people would use "all you can eat" bandwidth or they just couldn't meter cost effectively.
Well, now both of those things have come to pass so now they have every reason to cap and charge overages. |
|
swintec
Premium
join:2003-12-19
Alfred, ME
 ·RapidVPS
·surpasshosting
 ·Sprint Mobile Broa..
·VoicePulse
 ·RoadRunner Cable
|  Boy Oh Boy...
This seems to be the week for these types of stories! I knew an announcement from TW was just around the corner, as they wouldnt wanna let Charter, Comcast, and Cox take all the press.  I wonder if we can expect the next test area to become New England. 
--
Block Accounts | UseNet Now |
|
en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA
·RoadRunner Cable
·DSL EXTREME
| I wonder if they'll try it in the Los Angeles market
Most parts of Los Angeles are AT&T.
If they attempted it in Los Angeles - people would flock to AT&T ... who would probably start implementing similar billing (wasn't it Reno, NV that AT&T was testing this with as well)
--
Canada = Hollywood North |
|
Pizz
Hi
join:2000-10-27
Astoria, NY | reply to swintec
Re: Boy Oh Boy...
FIOS looks better and better with each passing day. |
|
Eat Me
join:2002-09-25
Sussex, NJ | I could never understand people who could get FiOS and wouldn't.
I simply don't. Seems like a no brainer to me. |
|
swintec
Premium
join:2003-12-19
Alfred, ME | reply to en102
Re: I wonder if they'll try it in the Los Angeles market
Yes they are testing it as well. You really will not win in this regard.
--
Block Accounts | UseNet Now |
|
Dogfather
Premium
join:2007-12-26
Laguna Hills, CA | reply to Eat Me
Re: Boy Oh Boy...
I had FiOS and had to cancel over their horrid billing. All is not roses in FiOS-land. |
|
Dogfather
Premium
join:2007-12-26
Laguna Hills, CA | reply to swintec
Re: I wonder if they'll try it in the Los Angeles market
Then they'll just go to 3rd party DSL providers like DSL Extreme. |
|
nasadude
join:2001-10-05
Rockville, MD
·Comcast
| reply to Eat Me
Re: Remember the 90s
said by Eat Me  :... Well, now both of those things have come to pass so now they have every reason to cap and charge overages. actually, the only reason they have to cap and charge overages is to suck more money out of their captive customers and not have to adequately upgrade their infrastructure
they WANT to do this and don't need a reason. |
|
Boomerang86
Got FUD?
Premium
join:2002-10-18
VampireState
clubs: | we're getting painted into a corner
Frontier DSL already caps us; now this.
--
Don't pay ME back, pay it forward. |
|
jmn1207
Premium
join:2000-07-19
Reston, VA
 ·Verizon FIOS
| reply to Eat Me
Re: Remember the 90s
said by Eat Me :Your internet access was billed by the hour. And then AOL offered unlimited service at a standard rate of $19.99. And despite a long and frustrating period for many customers fighting to get through on one of AOL's phone numbers, their user base grew astronomically. They soon dominated the industry.
If every ISP decides to go with metered billing, the one business that can offer "unlimited" service will most likely reap the benefits, even if their current infrastructure cannot keep up with the demand at first.
|
|
Big Pete 82
join:2009-01-30
Corona, CA
·Verizon FIOS
| reply to Dogfather
Re: Boy Oh Boy...
Yeah their billing is terrible but often times if you are polite you can use it to your advantage and get free trials movie packages, etc. But definitely, the billing does bring Fios down a notch. Personally, I'll take billing issues over caps any day, as billing issues can *usually* be fixed/credited... |
|
Karl Bode
News Guy
join:2000-03-02
Host:
Road Runner
PC gaming GAMES
PC gaming Tech
| reply to jmn1207
Re: Remember the 90s
If every ISP decides to go with metered billing, the one business that can offer "unlimited" service will most likely reap the benefits, even if their current infrastructure cannot keep up with the demand at first. That remains the problem for marketers of this idea. Like the "three strikes" idea, unless you get every carrier to engage in this en masse, then you're simply offering other carriers a way to differentiate themselves competitively.
Were Time Warner Cable a little smarter, they'd just impose high caps like Comcast, Charter, and Cox plan to do, then slowly ease them downward and impose overages in a few years very quietly while American consumers are busy guzzling corn syrup and watching Dancing With The Stars.
That's my suggestion, for what it's worth. |
|
Dogfather
Premium
join:2007-12-26
Laguna Hills, CA
·Cox HSI
·Verizon FIOS
·Cox VOIP
·ViaTalk
·RoadRunner Cable
·MegaPath
·Verizon west (ex G..
·Time Warner VOIP
| reply to Big Pete 82
Re: Boy Oh Boy...
I tried for about 6 months to get the billing fixed. They are so compartmentalized they couldn't get it fixed. I even went as far as canceling ALL VZ services and having them reinstalled only to have the same billing error reappear. Service itself was excellent so I still would HIGHLY recommend it on the condition that the person do everything "by the book" and be patient with canceling previous services and the like. |
|
dcurrey
Premium
join:2004-06-29
·ViaTalk
| Options
At least for now I have an option. City started a cable company that was then sold off to Cincinnati Bell. If they start it here I can switch. That is until Cinci Bell starts capping.
--
Any unauthorized use of your own judgment is strictly prohibited. |
|
jimbo2150
join:2004-05-10
Youngstown, OH
| reply to jmn1207
Re: Remember the 90s
said by jmn1207 :If every ISP decides to go with metered billing, the one business that can offer "unlimited" service will most likely reap the benefits, even if their current infrastructure cannot keep up with the demand at first. There is the issue. While those few living in large cities where there is a bit more local competition won't be much affected by it cause at least one (if not more) smaller providers will offer unlimited as usual and customers will reap the benefits. For those of use in suburban or rural areas (a majority of the US) where there is only one or two providers... well, we will not have any choice. For many it's either capped provider A or dial-up provider B. For a few more it will be capped provider A, capped provider B, or dial-up C.
Consumers will definitely suffer if the major providers decide to go with this.
--
- "Techie" Jim |
|
Eat Me
join:2002-09-25
Sussex, NJ
·PenTeleData
·Future Nine Corpor..
·VOIPo
·Vonage
| For me it's either:
30M/2M and 100GB cap each way. Service Electric/PTD cable.
or
5M/896k and no caps, plus having to subscribe to landline phone service (which I currently don't do). This is Embarq DSL. I'm too far from the CO to get 10M service, plus that 896k upload is just pathetic.
or
3.5M/1M and unknown caps, varying with weather. This is Near You Networks WISP.
I want the speed so I guess I have to swallow the caps for now. |
|
unoriginal
join:2000-07-12
San Diego, CA | reply to Dogfather
Re: I wonder if they'll try it in the Los Angeles market
Sonic.net also serves SoCal. I don't believe that they have any plans for caps either, at least not right now. |
|
shoan
join:2006-02-27
Benton, AR
| if they are afraid of loss of revenue
If they are afraid of loss of video revenue to online video delivery why not strike a middle ground and say hey if you sign up for cable with us you can have un-metered internet with us. If you sign up for internet only then you have caps. As it stands right now video on my PC is cool and all and streaming videos from nexflix to my x-box is cool. But guess what I still want to watch discovery HD and food network and sci-fi and the locals and so on and so on. So I will always subscribe to either cable, Sat, or U-verse (in my area) to watch TV. It is just plain easier to have regular old TV for the bulk of my TV. |
|
Dogfather
Premium
join:2007-12-26
Laguna Hills, CA | reply to unoriginal
Re: I wonder if they'll try it in the Los Angeles market
And many of these 3rd party providers have very relaxed TOS/AUP permitting serving, have free usenet, etc in addition to not having any usage restrictions. |
|
