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Comments on news posted 2009-02-04 11:34:11: Back in January of 2008 we were the very first to report that Time Warner Cable was conducting a trial in their Beaumont, Texas market that imposed caps ranging from 5GB to 40GB on the company's existing tiers of service. ..

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fifty nine
join:2002-09-25
Sussex, NJ

fifty nine

Member

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 Member
join:2003-12-19
Alfred, ME

swintec

Premium Member

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.

en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA

en102

Member

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)

StevenB
Premium Member
join:2000-10-27
New York, NY

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to swintec

Re: Boy Oh Boy...

FIOS looks better and better with each passing day.

fifty nine
join:2002-09-25
Sussex, NJ

fifty nine

Member

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 Member
join:2003-12-19
Alfred, ME

swintec to en102

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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.

Dogfather
Premium Member
join:2007-12-26
Laguna Hills, CA

Dogfather to fifty nine

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to fifty nine

Re: Boy Oh Boy...

I had FiOS and had to cancel over their horrid billing. All is not roses in FiOS-land.
Dogfather

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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

1 recommendation

nasadude to fifty nine

Member

to fifty nine

Re: Remember the 90s

said by fifty nine:

...
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.

Irun Man
Premium Member
join:2002-10-18
Millsboro, DE

Irun Man

Premium Member

we're getting painted into a corner

Frontier DSL already caps us; now this.

jmn1207
Premium Member
join:2000-07-19
Sterling, VA

jmn1207 to fifty nine

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to fifty nine

Re: Remember the 90s

said by fifty nine:

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.


lakerfan82
join:2009-01-30
Corona, CA

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Member

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

1 recommendation

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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 Member
join:2007-12-26
Laguna Hills, CA

Dogfather to lakerfan82

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to lakerfan82

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 Member
join:2004-06-29
Mason, OH

dcurrey

Premium Member

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.
jimbo21503
join:2004-05-10
Euclid, OH

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Member

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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.

fifty nine
join:2002-09-25
Sussex, NJ

fifty nine

Member

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
Premium Member
join:2000-07-12
San Diego, CA

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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

shoan

Member

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 Member
join:2007-12-26
Laguna Hills, CA

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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.
ISurfTooMuch
join:2007-04-23
Tuscaloosa, AL

ISurfTooMuch

Member

Muni fiber

Not to beat the muni fiber drum too loudly, but...oh well, yeah, I will.

This is what you get with no real local competition. Once people start getting squeezed by these caps, maybe more places will do what they should be doing now and building out muni fiber.

And for folks who would bemoan the poor cable companies and telcos, it isn't like they've been losing money all these years. They just want to suck more out of their customers and kill off potential competition from alternative video services. They scream about unfair competition when someone comes along to offer something better, yet they engage in these tactics to make their own overpriced services viable. Disgusting.

en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA

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Member

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Re: I wonder if they'll try it in the Los Angeles market

I have been with DSL Extreme before.. and as an ISP - I find their service much more desirable than TWC has been since I've had them (August). Only thing that has kept me with TWC is the bundle deal that I've had ($90/month for 10/1, VoIP, Digital TV)

poobah
@alter.net

poobah

Anon

Re: Boy oh Boy

I have not taken advantage of the availability of FIOS, although it has been in my neighborhood for years. I have Cox HSI and I have never had any problem with them. My speed test results are typically 4 Mbps - 6 Mbps downloads and 1.5Mbps - 5 Mbps upload (which I don't actually need). I got Verizon out of my life when Cox offered HSI and I subscribed to Vonage. I have not had any real problems with either for over 8 years. I do not want to deal with the Verizon billing fiasco again.

The extra speed is attractive, but I don't really need it.

davoice
join:2000-08-12
Saxapahaw, NC

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Member

to fifty nine

Re: Remember the 90s

FYI... Embarq offers standalone DSL service. I have it at my other house. No phone line required. You just have to call and ask for it. (And find someone who understands what you're asking for.)

}Davoice

hayabusa3303
Over 200 mph
Premium Member
join:2005-06-29
Florence, SC

hayabusa3303

Premium Member

note to self

glad i dropped tw. I miss the speed but the caps like that is laughable.

woody7
Premium Member
join:2000-10-13
Torrance, CA

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to Karl Bode

Re: Remember the 90s

OMG karl, don't give them any ideas

davoice
join:2000-08-12
Saxapahaw, NC

davoice to Dogfather

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Re: I wonder if they'll try it in the Los Angeles market

My how quickly we forget how easy it is to make resellers/wholesalers irrelevant.

»Bell Canada Devises Backup Plan To Kill Wholesale Competitors

»Canadian Regulators Strangling Independent ISPs

}Davoice
hottboiinnc4
ME
join:2003-10-15
Cleveland, OH

hottboiinnc4

Member

This is the company that needs the lawsuit.

How can you lock your customers into a contract and then cap their services and then charge the damn ETF if they break it.

TWC will be next in court which they need to be for this shit.

Ohio will probably be next. The're basically the only provider in Ohio as far as expanded services. DSL spotty in cities or not offered. TWC bought almost every cable company here except for the smaller regional and Cox in Cleveland.

Combat Chuck
Too Many Cannibals
Premium Member
join:2001-11-29
Verona, PA

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to nasadude

Re: Remember the 90s

Yeah, that's why the power company does it....wait...

davidbugs
@cox.net

davidbugs

Anon

Let go back to Dial up and teach greddy company a lesson

the best solution we can go back to dial up.

Let support all smaller isp. Teach big companies we hate caps.

Smaller isp will make it come back.

Let go back to Dial up.
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