All Across North America: Usage Meters Still Don't Work > why Metered BB will fail

why Metered BB will fail

Big oil has lobby power too, but there are checks in place so they (hopefully) aren't short changing people at the pump. If enough people complain about inaccurate billing, I can't see the government looking the other way for too long.

I've been saying all along, the best way to fight against metered billing is to call for new regulations and government oversight. It's a perfectly reasonable request, and it's something these companies will really hate.
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AT&T U-Hearse - RIP Unlimited Internet 1995-2011
Rethink Billable.

reply to Kearnstd
Broadband providers do NOT call themselves utilties. They know if they do they can get regulated and thus adding extra taxes and fees to the bottom line and being required to do more. It's stupid for anyone to ask for regulation if you own the company.

The fact is nobody in the United States can just regulate the HSI providers without a problem. The FCC has no power over the Internet and they know it. Congress would have to give them that power to do just that. But then you have to decide what you're going to call it. Cable Internet is known as an Information Service. and DSL was/is a telecommunications service. So how are you going to regulate the two of them? It becomes a problem.

reply to djrobx
I think those companies don't mind the state calibrating their meters for free. They don't intentionally overcharge because it would eventually get them in trouble anyway, but unnoticed undercharging could really hurt them because their product actually costs them $/unit.

reply to djrobx
It's one thing to read all the DSLReport members pis%%%g and moaning about ISP providers (AT&T especially) implementing CAPS, but we're all standing on the bow of a sailboat pis%%%g into the wind (and getting wet in the process).

This forum is a relief valve here in our own little corner of the internet where all the malcontents can gather while the rest of the world goes its own way not caring that they are being shafted by CAPS right along with all internet users.

Someone with teeth has got to drag all the none ISP content providers (Netflix, Amazon, etc) into speaking with one voice against the ISPs. Forget Hulu Plus because of their Network (Comcast) ownership.

In my opinion, that one voice should be led by the webmasters at DSLReports. Get these businesses together and start hammering on the government and press to take up this issue.

Ask the consumer router industry why they won't provide Download Usage Counters in their wireless/4 port routers (specially Cisco/Linksys) so consumers can question the Empires metering?

Is AT&T and Cogeco's influence so great that consumers will always be mashed beneath their feet like dogs&%t?

reply to Wilsdom

reply to 25139889

reply to OneEye

reply to Warez_Zealot
So the LYA 'report' defines broadband as 128kbps or greater
the CRTC defines 128kbps as 'high speed' and broadband as 1.5mbps
oh and the OCED report defines broadband as 256kbps
OCED report also takes into account modem rental fees plus they don't include bundle prices ('preselection')

The LYA report is peppered with praise for Rogers as well as excuses why its lagging in some respects.
It boggles my mind how they came up with this average price, the cheapest solution Rogers offers is higher than the average, meanwhile the LYA praises Rogers as being the largest ISP in the country. So largest ISP + $35 minimum plan = $33 average

reply to Wilsdom
That's true. However, the product they pay for is speed. The technical term is bandwidth. Not to be confused with data. Whether there's data going through this bandwidth is irrelevant, the bandwidth costs them the same either way.