dslreports logo
 
    All Forums Hot Topics Gallery
spc
Search similar:


uniqs
903
spplutchok
join:2008-05-30
Roebling, NJ

1 recommendation

spplutchok

Member

[ Billing] Weights & Measures - Time Warner & Comcast: Exempt?

How is it that my electric company, gas company, phone company (landline & cell) water, sewer, local gas station, local supermarket, etc., etc. all abide by strict governmental regulations regarding weights & measures BUT THESE ISPs don't?

How is it these ISPs think that they are exempt from providing accurate, metered service without oversight? How is my usage determined? Where is my meter? How is my meter calibrated? What standards are used to determine the calibration? What guarantees that my service is metered correctly and accurately.

Why is it that these ISPs think that my exceeding an arbitrary threshold warrants punitive action? If I exceed my minutes allotment on my cell plan I pay for it. If I use more water this month than last, I pay for it. If my car is almost empty I fill it and pay for it. All of these are heavily regulated by strict weights & measure standards set by the government. IMHO it's the governments job to set and enforce these standards.

Who maintains and enforces standards for metered bandwidth? Frankly I don't trust the ISPs to self regulate.

All scales, meters, pumps, anything that a consumer would use to make a purchase from a utility or vendor is government regulated. Why is it that these ISPs have circumvented this? Do they think they are exempt?

The following is from NJ Office of Weights & Measures:

"The Office of Weights and Measures represents one of New Jersey's oldest efforts at consumer protection and traces its origins to the Code of Hammurabi, the Magna Carta and the United States Constitution. Created in 1911, after an "epidemic" of fraud which shortchanged the states' citizens, the Office of Weights and Measures is responsible for ensuring that all commercial weighing and measuring devices accurately measure the commodities sold to consumers."

The following FAQ is provided: 'http://www.nj.gov/oag/ca/weights/wmfaq.htm#ans10'

What weighing/measuring device is employed by Time Warner and Comcast to determine my usage? Is the device registered with the state? Have registration fees been paid? Is it properly calibrated? By who? What regulations exist to ensure that the unit price is accurately accessed? What is the unit price?

I can easily determine unit pricing looking at any of my utility bills or commodity purchases. Why is it that these ISPs think they can skirt the law regarding their service?

Write, call or visit your states Office of Weights & Measures and find out.

sansri88
digital is here
Premium Member
join:2005-12-17
New York, NY

sansri88

Premium Member

Re: [ Billing] Weights & Measures - Time Warner & Comcast: Exemp

Wow, you bring up a great point for us in New Jersey. There's nothing that our cable co's have provided for us to accurately monitor our bandwidth usage. Should probably complain to the BPU and to this office about that.

EG
The wings of love
Premium Member
join:2006-11-18
Union, NJ

EG to spplutchok

Premium Member

to spplutchok
Some of those are Apples to Oranges comparisons..

baineschile
2600 ways to live
Premium Member
join:2008-05-10
Sterling Heights, MI

baineschile to spplutchok

Premium Member

to spplutchok
Bad news....both TWC and Comcast provide you with mcafee suite when you get internet; which has a bandwidth monitor.
beavercable
Premium Member
join:2008-05-11
Beaverton, OR

1 recommendation

beavercable to EG

Premium Member

to EG
The electric company, gas company, phone company (landline & cell) water, sewer, local gas station, local supermarket are all life providing utilities. The internet only makes information a thousand times easier to get and porn free. No one's child will die if they can't log on to twitter.

EG
The wings of love
Premium Member
join:2006-11-18
Union, NJ

EG

Premium Member

said by beavercable:

The electric company, gas company, phone company (landline & cell) water, sewer, local gas station, local supermarket are all life providing utilities. The internet only makes information a thousand times easier to get and porn free. No one's child will die if they can't log on to twitter.
Yep. I know. Maybe you should have replied to the O.P. ?
beavercable
Premium Member
join:2008-05-11
Beaverton, OR

beavercable

Premium Member

Sorry clicked the wrong button.

EG
The wings of love
Premium Member
join:2006-11-18
Union, NJ

EG

Premium Member

Understood. And no worries bud !

JohnInSJ
Premium Member
join:2003-09-22
Aptos, CA

1 recommendation

JohnInSJ to spplutchok

Premium Member

to spplutchok
As others pointed out, your ISP is not (yet) a regulated utility.

You do not have to use them, simply get a different ISP if you do not agree with the terms of service of your current ISP.

Your ISP is not providing metered service, btw. Capped is not the same as metered. Soft-capped is not the same as hard-capped.

And this whole post belongs in that other thread which talks about caps.

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

2 edits

1 recommendation

FFH5 to baineschile

Premium Member

to baineschile
said by baineschile:

Bad news....both TWC and Comcast provide you with mcafee suite when you get internet; which has a bandwidth monitor.
That doesn't cover all traffic thru the cable modem, especially low level ARP traffic and similar net mgt traffic. That traffic as measured by my router averages about 10 kbps non-stop while the cable modem is active.

It also doesn't measure traffic from non-PC internet devices like my Wii's internet component;Xboxes; PS3s; Rokus; cell phones with WiFi capability, etc.

P.S.>> and where is the long promised bandwidth meter from Comcast. It is already over 3 months beyond the date originally promised.

DarkLogix
Texan and Proud
Premium Member
join:2008-10-23
Baytown, TX

DarkLogix

Premium Member

exacly the mcaffy meter is like putting a meter on only your stove even though your hot water heater is also gas

or putting a meter on your attic fan even though you have tons more stuff that uses that power

even gas stations have to be checked by the weights and measures dept (you can pick anyone they should all have a sticker saying that they're certified accurate) so the utility agrument goes out the window nice try but weak

and if Comcast is exempting arp traffic then even a meter on your router would not do an accurate job as it would count more than they are

so if they go into metered billing (which they haven't said that they're doing and if they make it a hard cap) then yes they should be required to offer a meter

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

FFH5

Premium Member

said by FFH5:

P.S.>> and where is the long promised bandwidth meter from Comcast. It is already over 3 months beyond the date originally promised.
Comcastcares on Twitter says no date yet on when Comcast will provide the promised bandwidth meter.
K Patterson
Premium Member
join:2006-03-12
Columbus, OH

1 recommendation

K Patterson

Premium Member

There is some question as to whether the meter will arrive before your inheritance from Nigeria.

I wouldn't bet either way.
beavercable
Premium Member
join:2008-05-11
Beaverton, OR

beavercable to DarkLogix

Premium Member

to DarkLogix
You can call the utility argument weak but it still applies. Gas stations are metered because of money and pretty much all of society depends on gas. Boats, planes, cars, public transportation, contruction, and most importantly city services like the fire and police department. You "need" to be able to reach the police or fire department. You only wan't to play video games, watch porn, and rant about how unfair a large corporation is online.
Kearnstd
Space Elf
Premium Member
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ

Kearnstd to spplutchok

Premium Member

to spplutchok
the difference is Comcast isnt metered but has a 250gb cap. the people controled by the government for measurments are billing per those. Comcast isnt billing per gig.

also as much as i dont like corporations running free to only make their investors happy while not caring about the customer, getting the government involved with anything ISP just opens the door to smaller steps such as blacklists like they are trying in other countries.