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voipdabbler
join:2006-04-27
Kalispell, MT

2 edits

voipdabbler

Member

They're going to kill the golden goose.

Time Warner is hemorrhaging money from it's entertainment unit (especially Warner Bros.) and AOL (the decision to buy AOL was one of the worst ones they've ever made). They made profits with their cable operations, which will be spun off from the parent company this year, and their publishing unit.

However, those cable profits can easily vanish in a heartbeat if they get too greedy, and this metered billing plan is extremely greedy. They already haven't met growth expectations and this year will see their cable subscription numbers drop significantly as a huge chunk of the Adelphia markets they inherited in the bankruptcy purchase with Comcast get transitioned to the newly-created Windjammer Cable. I expect to see their subscription numbers in the markets they retained shrink with this kind of metered billing shenanigans. It will serve them right. (They're cutting almost 1300 employees in the cable company over the next few weeks, too. Expect to see service decline.)

These "data/entertainmet/service" behemoths do not care about keeping a robust lead in Internet technology, which is technology created by the US government (DARPA). Since the Internet was developed by taxpayer dollars, it's time the taxpayers get their money back. My new mantra--"Let's nationalize the Internet pipes and build a national interstate information highway." It took time, but the country built an interstate highway system, and it was the government (state and federal together) not private investors that accomplished that mission. Heck if Ike had relied on private investors to build out the interstate highway system, it still wouldn't exist. This century needs to see the nation build out an interstate information highway, without private investors.

Kloneicle
@omcastbusiness.net

Kloneicle

Anon

With all these companies coming up with caps of some sort. I see in the future investigations or whatever. This isn't right of the providers out there. Theres no reason they need to limit the flow of information. Internet is Internet, you pay for it and that should be it.

If network isn't big enough you make your network bigger, you don't limit access thats going backwards and 0 development.

Look at internet overseas, they are in the lead in terms of development like this. No CAPS over there for the most part.

I just hope verizon holds strong with fiber and saying we don't plan to have caps anytime in the near future.

KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium Member
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK
Netgear WNDR3700v2
Zoom 5341J

KrK to voipdabbler

Premium Member

to voipdabbler
said by voipdabbler:

However, those cable profits can easily vanish in a heartbeat if they get too greedy, and this metered billing plan is extremely greedy.
That's the plan to INCREASE profits. It will work too, because all the big boys are rolling this out everywhere, so basically the consumer has nowhere to go--- they just get to pick the corporate logo that's on the shaft that's rammed up their asses.
voipdabbler
join:2006-04-27
Kalispell, MT

1 edit

voipdabbler

Member

said by KrK:

said by voipdabbler:

However, those cable profits can easily vanish in a heartbeat if they get too greedy, and this metered billing plan is extremely greedy.
That's the plan to INCREASE profits. It will work too, because all the big boys are rolling this out everywhere, so basically the consumer has nowhere to go--- they just get to pick the corporate logo that's on the shaft that's rammed up their asses.
I don't think it will be as easy for the "big boys" to roll out these type of metered plans with the FCC under a new chairman. The acting chair as well as the nominee for chairman both are firm believers in net neutrality. The big boys aren't dumb pipe owners, they sell content and services. (Granted, if the IRS and FCC act before 31 March to approve the spinoff of Time Warner Cable, TWC will be a separate entity from Time Warner. However, TWC's close relationshp with TW will still possibly be suspect, depending on how they may treat any of TW's content or services.) The big boys tend to be so greedy that they try to position their content and services in such a way as to have "caps" not apply. This won't fly under the FCC now that Martin and some of the other members are out. Watch Comcast's VOIP issues--it will be very telling. I expect they'll go to court on the issue, but I think Comcast's in for an uphill fight. DoJ is going to be aggressive under the new administration, too.

Some of the more aggressive states' attorneys general, like Cuomo in NY, may get into the middle of the frey, too. There are potentially more state statutes that, depending on whether the big boys are marching in lockstep, may come into play and warrant state action.

KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium Member
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK

KrK

Premium Member

I think by the time the FCC has it's stuff together these caps will already be in effect nationwide.
voipdabbler
join:2006-04-27
Kalispell, MT

voipdabbler

Member

Well, even if they put caps in place, it won't stop possible regulatory and/or legal action at the state or federal level, especially if the actions by the major players appear to be concerted efforts to monopolize content/services to the disadvantage of their competitors by manipulating the TOS for their pipes. There are other numerous state statutes that may come into play as well.

Those companies that set particularly low caps, like TWC and Frontier, may find themselves under fire first by state's attorneys general. I predict their legal departments may find themselves fully-employed in defending their policies through numerous state court systems, not just at the federal regulatory level. If this eats into their profits, well, I don't think anyone will be shedding any tears for them.

In the long run, maybe consumer ire, if we complain formally to our elected officials not just on forums like this, will force Washington to address net neutrality.