huntml
join:2002-01-23
Mullica Hill, NJ
 ·Comcast
| The publicity is starting to build.
We're seeing a lot of stories with the metered-billing-as-money-grab motif lately, and of course there was the whole issue of TWC backing down on trying out metered billing.
It'll be interesting to see how they come at it next. Because one thing is for sure, they aren't going to let it go.
--
There *are* no answers, only questions; or, rather, every answer begs another question. |
|
rdmiller
join:2005-09-23
Richmond, VA | Question
I don't have an oar in this boat, just a question. If caps are bad, is metered billing less bad or more bad? |
|
gmoney_indy
join:2004-01-29
Fishers, IN | More bad, of course...depending on how low of a cap. |
|
JsonOD
@comcast.net | reply to rdmiller
Neither are bad. If you put on your ISP hat and think about what each do, you'll rightly conclude that caps protect your infrastructure investment, and metered billing protects you from going broke. |
|
Unkown User
@covad.net
| reply to rdmiller
Metered billing done correctly probably wouldn't be so bad. You should have a very low connection fee, then base everything else on a reasonable price per GB. That way, grannies and technologically impaired people could have a much smaller bill than what they are currently paying, and only those who really download extreme amounts would be paying extreme amounts.
Of course, all the terms used are relative. Reasonable on a consumer basis and reasonable to the Cable Co. are going to be two different numbers.
The problem is, that a lot of users would be charged less than what they are paying now for their current usage under a true metered scheme, while probably not enough users would be charged more to make up for that. Which irks the Cable co's profits. |
|
S_engineer
join:2007-05-16
Chicago, IL
·Comcast
| reply to rdmiller
said by rdmiller  :I don't have an oar in this boat, just a question. If caps are bad, is metered billing less bad or more bad? think of the ISP as providing access to a tollway. They then say that because theres so much traffic, they're going to tell you where you have to get off the road unless you want to pay an extra fee. So rather then adding lanes, they want to charge an extra fee. Now if everyone decides to pay the extra fee, just how does that relieve the traffic? |
|
JasonOD
@comcast.net
 from:
TKJunkMail
| said by S_engineer :..... Now if everyone decides to pay the extra fee, just how does that relieve the traffic? You don't, BOTH caps and metered billing are necessary in this case. The alternative would be to just acknowledge that not all packets are equal (they're not), but we mussn't upset the net neutrality nuts. |
|
me1212
join:2008-11-20
Pleasant Hill, MO | reply to huntml
Re: The publicity is starting to build.
Yeah, I think we will see a big fight soon. hopefully the costumers will win. I mean no ISP that I know of has even provided any data that supports their claim. I hope we at least up the caps to 1TB if nothing else, but I would rather they go away. |
|
TKJunkMail
Enjoy the sun
Premium
join:2002-03-03
Avalon, NJ
 ·Sprint Mobile Broa..
·Comcast
| reply to S_engineer
Re: Question
said by S_engineer :Now if everyone decides to pay the extra fee, just how does that relieve the traffic? The extra fees underwrite the cost of adding more infrastructure.
--
My BLOG .. .. Internet News .. .. My Web Page |
|
axus
join:2001-06-18
Washington, DC
 ·Verizon Online DSL
| peak hour
All they have to do is drop more packets during the times their system is overloaded. It's what routers are supposed to do, TCP/IP is supposed to decrease its transfer rate when that happens. Doesn't cost them a thing, it's network neutral, and it only costs the user a little bit of time.
There's incentive to grow their network, because a competitor will if they don't. You only see growth stop when the competition isn't there or doesn't care.
Maybe someday the demand for bandwidth will settle down. We can only use so much water and electricity, which is why metering makes sense for them. Landline and bandwidth are mostly fixed costs, which is why they tend towards fixed price contracts. As cell phone networks become more fixed cost, so will the prices. |
|
Sammer
join:2005-12-22
Canonsburg, PA
| reply to Unkown User
Re: Question
said by Unkown User :
Metered billing done correctly probably wouldn't be so bad. You should have a very low connection fee, then base everything else on a reasonable price per GB. That way, grannies and technologically impaired people could have a much smaller bill than what they are currently paying, and only those who really download extreme amounts would be paying extreme amounts.
TWC isn't interested in true metered billing because they want to soak those grannies and technologically impaired people too. Asking a cable company to bill internet at no more than $10/month and $0.25 a GB is like asking them to offer al a carte. |
|
dforan
join:2000-12-09
Willoughby, OH | reply to TKJunkMail
Why is my neighbor hood still have 30 yearold plus infrastructure.. Cause we takes you money and run..
BUNK |
|
dforan
join:2000-12-09
Willoughby, OH
·RoadRunner Cable
| reply to TKJunkMail
BUNK
My neighbor hood infrastructure is 30 plus years old
All they EVERY did was raise rate and then take the money and RUN... Right AT&T oh I forgot they took the money and laid every one off then sold out to Comcast and then went to Road Runner and no improvments
redefines SUX |
|
donh
join:2006-11-27
Jackson, WY
| reply to TKJunkMail
They have been charging for expansion and maintenance all along. But instead of investing in the future and maintenance they have used it as dividends and bonuses. Now they expect us to pay for it again. Its the americun thing to do. Get em coming, get em going and kick them on the way down. And of course they were able to right off all the fake investment on there taxes.
What a great system we have. Fake competition, fake taxes and fake investments with real greed.
Don |
|
wentlanc
You Can't Fix Dumb..
join:2003-07-30
Maineville, OH
| reply to TKJunkMail
If general usage on the internet is increasing, then they need to collect those fees from every user. Raise your prices for all users.
How much of that usage increase is due to faster speeds being offered by the very same ISP's?
How much of that usage increase has something to do with these ISP's marketing that you can download more faster with their service??
They are begging for the traffic, but complaining when they get it. Nice plan.
cw |
|
TKJunkMail
Enjoy the sun
Premium
join:2002-03-03
Avalon, NJ
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
·Comcast
|  reply to donh
said by donh : But instead of investing in the future and maintenance they have used it as dividends and bonuses. Sorry, but your claim is wrong. All the major players(Comcast, TWC, Verizon, AT&T, etc) spend billions every year on maintenance and upgrades. Just go to the SEC filings to see their annual reports on how much they spend.
I, like many other stockholders, think executive pay and bonuses are way too high. And there are movements afoot to rein in those costs. But as high as they are, they are a drop in the bucket compared to other company costs(like maintenance and capital costs for infrastructure growth).
--
My BLOG .. .. Internet News .. .. My Web Page |
|
SLD
Premium
join:2002-04-17 | reply to me1212
Re: The publicity is starting to build.
said by me1212 :hopefully the costumers will win. Nice pun! |
|
rit56
join:2000-12-01
New York, NY
| reply to JasonOD
Re: Question
Do you work for Comcast? Your defense of a blatant move to totally screw customers who are forced to buy a product from a monopoly indicates that. It's a modern world, the world has changed. The switch providers or drop the service argument doesn't float anymore. Internet access is now a utility just like electricity and these companies were given monopolies and now they are abusing their market position and need to be regulated. |
|
sturmvogel
Obama '08
join:2008-02-07
Houston, TX
| reply to TKJunkMail
said by TKJunkMail :said by S_engineer :Now if everyone decides to pay the extra fee, just how does that relieve the traffic? The extra fees underwrite the cost of adding more infrastructure. Except that they take the money and do not upgrade the infrastructure.
--
Obama '08. Will help resolve the terrible broadband issues we have that put us so far behind other countries. |
|
sturmvogel
Obama '08
join:2008-02-07
Houston, TX
| reply to TKJunkMail
said by TKJunkMail :I, like many other stockholders, Explains your Comcastic attitude.
--
Obama '08. Will help resolve the terrible broadband issues we have that put us so far behind other countries. |
|
