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morbo
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Re: Something has to give.

ISPs are getting greedy. That's what this is about.

TechyDad
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join:2001-07-13
USA

TechyDad

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I think what this is really about is that ISPs that also provide television content see Netflix, Google and other online video providers as a threat. If people get enough of their entertainment from online sources, they'll cut cable (or, at the very least, won't buy those expensive cable add-on packages). This will cut the ISP's revenue. So they either demand that Netflix/Google/etc be regulated (read: "Hey, Government. Save our profits!") or they demand that they be paid for traffic coming across their network. ("We'll be fair and charge everyone... except for ourselves of course. No, that doesn't give us an advantage. Oops, looks like Netflix is slowing down again. Better pay us to watch some TV.")

morbo
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morbo

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ISPs can raise their prices for internet service if they believe the market will bear it. Adapt or die.

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

fifty nine

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said by morbo:

ISPs can raise their prices for internet service if they believe the market will bear it. Adapt or die.

What if ISPs decided to charge more for certain types of content? Then people would be screaming "net neutrality!!!!!" and run straight to the FCC/CRTC crying about how evil corporations are putting up toll booths on the internet.

morbo
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ISPs can recoup their costs by charging more. They cannot decide what content users decide to access on their lines. Yes, that is a net neutrality issue. ISPs must be protocol neutral.

TechyDad
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And how would the ISP charge more for certain types of content? If you read a web page with an embedded YouTube video, would that be Online Video? What if the video was hosted on the web page's own site? Would there be a fee structure with different fees (charged per megabyte) for different sites?

Besides being a network neutrality violation, this would be horribly complex for billing purposes. ISPs that did this wouldn't be able to advertise "get super fast Internet for just $XX." Of course, they could still advertise their "low rate of $XX" and then add in more bogus below the line taxes and fees (e.g. "Online Video Fee", "Streaming Movie Tax", etc.) They wouldn't be able to charge much there, however. I think the FCC would investigate if people were being charged $20 a month in "Streaming Movie Fees."

MonkeyLick78
join:2002-01-27
Hixson, TN

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said by fifty nine:

said by morbo:

ISPs can raise their prices for internet service if they believe the market will bear it. Adapt or die.

What if ISPs decided to charge more for certain types of content? Then people would be screaming "net neutrality!!!!!" and run straight to the FCC/CRTC crying about how evil corporations are putting up toll booths on the internet.

Well yes, because that would be extremely stupid and greedy. It's like you're trying to think of the most greedy and horrible thing for consumers so you can say "LOOK! SEE?! They always cry no matter what they do!" Data is data and doesn't come in different "flavors". It's called the cost of doing business and these ISP's seem to be making nice profits in spite of the big bad Video Services. You can't whine about bandwidth costs and then turn around and show a healthy return.

Maer
@shawcable.net

Maer to fifty nine

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The internet was not designed to be a series of toll roads to be abused. As for the CRTC it only works for the major ISPs so clearly you know jack about that. Considering Canadians have had to pay for most of copper based networks here it think its only fair we have some say over how we access content over it. Power should not be in the hands of companies whose own VOD services are in direct competition with all online media to prevent cord cutters and people paying less for netflix then single VOD PPV movie you can only watch once(go shaw less for more!)