 GlobalMindDomino Dude, POWER Systems GuyPremium
join:2001-10-29
Hollywood, FL | Here comes the flood? I don't think there's any question that data traffic over the Internet will continue to increase in the course of years.
Yes it will be a large amount of data. There are more & more business transactions which use the Internet instead of dedicated circuits, and of course consumer services like movie rentals which consume bandwidth.
What I do think is pretty funny is that the various ISPs & backbone providers like to make the case for an end of days scenario on bandwidth.
There is no such thing as a limit to Internet bandwidth because it is not a natural resource. We (as humans) make the decsions & spend the money which creates the bandwidth.
Metered access will further place an Internet connection into the realm of a utility. Many of the ISPs have gone to great pains to avoid that for Internet access, but I'd make the case that if you are metering access then that's what it is...utility service. Just like my water & power.
Of course your bill might be less one month when I'm out on vacation for a couple weeks and higher another month when I am here every day.
What I don't think is viable is metered access with also a bandwidth cap. If I am paying based on what I use then I should be able to use what I want so long as I pay for it.
Before anyone thinks that is the same "I pay $45 a month I have the right to do what I want" argument - I'd say it isn't really the same thing. Think about it.
Florida Power & Light doesn't cap me at so many KWH a month because I pay for what I use. Same with water. If they want to do that for bandwidth then I think caps should be off the table.
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TheGlobalMind.com | Speed costs money. How fast do you want to go? | Trust the instinct to the end, though you can render no reason. Ralph Waldo Emerson
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 gsogeek
join:2006-01-27
Greensboro, NC | Not a bad idea, but then, where I live, utilities are regulated industries, with fairly heavy government involvement. The last time Duke Power wanted a rate increase, it took them almost 3 months to make the change. Since what you recommend is that they are treated like a utility, I wouldn't have any problems, as long as they are treated like a utility in all respects. Whenever TIme-Warner want's to up my bill, they can go before the Utilities commission, make their case, and then pray they don't get turned down. They can also be forced to build out additional bandwidth, meet service level minimums, and deal with all that headache, not to mention loss of their common carrier status. Sounds good to me, government forced net-neutrality.  |
