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BellSouth: Charge for Website Speed
If Google wants better network response, pay us
(old news - 10:35AM Thursday Dec 01 2005)
tags: competition · business · bandwidth
According to the Washington Post, a BellSouth executive yesterday told reporters and analysts that the telco should be able to charge certain websites more if they wish to be accessed by customers more quickly. BellSouth CTO William L. Smith also told reporters BellSouth should be able to charge VoIP carriers for network traffic QOS (quality of service). Obviously advocacy groups aren't impressed, a Public Knowledge rep stating: "Prioritization is just another word for degrading your competitor."

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Forums » BellSouth: Charge for Website Speed
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ptrowski
Got Helix?
Premium
join:2005-03-14
Putnam, CT
clubs:

And the Greedy get greedier,....

Please...they get enough right now, and they want even more control? Please.
Jonbo298

join:2004-01-12
Council Bluffs, IA

Re: And the Greedy get greedier,....

We all know Google eats up a ton of bandwidth. If I had DSL with them, I guess I should be afraid it takes half a second more to get search results or even load Google's site.

How much bandwidth did it consume to search Google again? It surely must take megs upon megs of precious bandwidth to do so

technick
Premium
join:2000-12-16
Loganville, GA


moderated:
December 9th, @06:00PM

I could start this with the common "Bellsouth Sucks" or "Bellsouth Needs To Go Down In Flames" but well I'm not. There's tons of Bellsouth fan boys on this site who will stick up for Bellsouth again and again. So how do you defend Bellsouth now?

If I could pull the plug on BellSouth existence I would. I ditched them almost two months ago. I am Bellsouth FREE!!! I guess this kind of attitude could be associated with communism. When you support Bellsouth, you are supporting communism and god kills a kitten every time you do.

Sadly enough many people will stay with Bellsouth and not voice their opinion with their pocket book. Just go ahead and conform now fan boys...

Someone needs to smack the taste out of William Smith's mouth.. I wonder if he lives in the Atlanta area and would be willing to hear from some of the folks this would effect. Anyone have his contact information... wait I'll just google it...
--
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King P
Don't blame me. I voted for Ron Paul
Premium
join:2004-11-17
Inman, SC
·Windstream
·Charter Pipeline
·Speakeasy
·Vonage

Re: And the Greedy get greedier,....

I don't have Bill Smith's info, but I have just about everyone else at BS Corporate HQ. It's posted on their site too, so it isn't like this is restricted info...muahahahahaha

»bellsouthcorp.com/newsroom/conta···customer
--
Forget 'em, Support the Indies.»www.ind-music.com

lopinboy
If you can read this.... RUN

join:2001-02-22
Huntersville, NC

Why change services just because Bellsouth wants to charge Google for priority? Does this affect my speeds or my bill? No, not really, outside of Google.com itself.

While it's a dirty business to business tactic, you can't sit here and say we should change our service just to tell them their wrong for their business to business relations.

BTW, I find it funny how you talk of communism at the end of your paragraph, while saying "If I could pull the plug on BellSouth existence I would" at the beginning.

technick
Premium
join:2000-12-16
Loganville, GA

Re: And the Greedy get greedier,....

So your saying you would be able to get your point across to Bellsouth without canceling and that they will really take you seriously? Pulling the plug on bellsouth has nothing to do with communism.

lopinboy
If you can read this.... RUN

join:2001-02-22
Huntersville, NC

Re: And the Greedy get greedier,....

Huh? What I'm saying is I have no need to cancel my service with Bellsouth over what they want to do with another company. When they want to charge the consumer, then it'll be a problem, but reading the article, it sounds more like Bellsouth wants to get some cash from Google or from other internet sites to have those sites load faster.

What they are basically saying is they want to open up a service where internet sites can buy the option for their site to load faster than the competitors site.

Unless they go and slow up the competitors site, while leaving the paying sites speed alone, this affects the consumers so very little.

And lastly, by saying you would pull the plug on Bellsouth, you are basically saying you want total control. So I'll change my wording to totalitarianism.
Zennest

join:2004-08-14

Re: And the Greedy get greedier,....

This is going to against what internet is. Reaching the information.
So what do you think next will be? Then, google will charge access to their page. So will you pay for it or your loveboy Bellsouth?
jp10558
Premium
join:2005-06-24
Willseyville, NY

Yeah, but will Bell South just outright block access to sites that don't want to pay?

Plus, as a customer, isn't there an implicit problem here? That your access could be faster with the plan you've got, but they don't make it faster? Isn't that basically hurting you? Don't you expect your ISP to make every effort to make your internet experiance the best it can be?

I mean, why go with someone who not only is intentionally mediocre, but advertises that fact?
--
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lopinboy
If you can read this.... RUN

join:2001-02-22
Huntersville, NC


edit:
December 1st, @10:17PM

Re: And the Greedy get greedier,....

said by jp10558 See Profile :

Yeah, but will Bell South just outright block access to sites that don't want to pay?

Plus, as a customer, isn't there an implicit problem here? That your access could be faster with the plan you've got, but they don't make it faster? Isn't that basically hurting you? Don't you expect your ISP to make every effort to make your internet experiance the best it can be?

I mean, why go with someone who not only is intentionally mediocre, but advertises that fact?
From the article:

quote:
But Smith was quick to say that Internet service providers should not be able to block or discriminate against Web content or services by degrading their performance.
As it stands, the only thing I'm getting from this article is that Bellsouth wants to set up a payment option that internet services could pay to promote their site by giving them faster speeds. They didn't say they would restrict websites, b/c right now, they could if they wanted. They merely are trying to find a way to rack in some cash and what better way than to have companies pay you so their site loads faster than the other.

As it stands though, I see nothing in the article that screams "Bloody murder! I must cancel my service that is working exactly as it says it would!"

quote:
Plus, as a customer, isn't there an implicit problem here? That your access could be faster with the plan you've got, but they don't make it faster? Isn't that basically hurting you? Don't you expect your ISP to make every effort to make your internet experiance the best it can be?
As it stands, all services in the US and many countries don't exactly try to live up to the best they can be. I was at 3.0 spds last year, while they could have given me my current 6.0 spds multiple years ago. It's not some unknown fact, b/c every year there are at least 2 companies upping their speeds and we read about it and argue about it right on these very forums. Do I want the best service possible? Heck yeah, but so does everyone and no one is getting it nor will anyone get it unless everyone in the whole USA decides to cancel their internet service all at once and demand the best service possible.
Skippy25

join:2000-09-13
Hazelwood, MO

Google pays for internet connectivity to someone, maybe it is actually BellSouth. I don't know, nor do I care. Point is that whoever it is that Google is paying for connectivity only needs to concern itself with providing the SLA and speed/bandwidth they are contracted by Google to provide. Now if Google comes to the above and says "Hey we want our traffic at a higher priority then any other traffic for companies that you are hosting" then that company is free to charge whatever Google is willing to pay to have their packets routed at a higher priority once it hits the hosting companies network. Provided of course that every other customer of that provider has already agreed (thru a EULA or whatever) to allow them to lower the priority of their packets. Because you can’t raise the priority of one packet without lowering the priority of every other packet.

No connectivity provider (backbone, ISP, Telco, Cable Co) has any right to interfere with any packet coming across the internet. Regardless of the number or the destination of such packets. They should remain transparent packet routers who's only concern should be with the SLA and speed/bandwidth they were contracted to provide. If they want to limit speed and amount of packets that one can send/receive so be it. Let ISP's and hosting companies create the packages for us to review and make an educated decision to buy or not to buy. And US would include user's as well as content providers like Google.

If BS is implying that they should be charging Google or any other company for packets directed to their servers from a BS client on the BS network, they are simply entering waters they have no business being in. They have absolutely no right to interfere with a user’s packet in any way as long as that user is within the scope of the speed/bandwidth that they have contracted for. If the user goes outside of that limit, then and only then does BS have a right to interfere with that specific user’s connection.
the dozer
Premium
join:2004-04-12
Douglasville, GA

I think it's good your BellSouth free!!! Your attitude could be associated with communism. I think you had one too many falls as a child. Kind of a nut if you ask me.

said by technick See Profile :

I could start this with the common "Bellsouth Sucks" or "Bellsouth Needs To Go Down In Flames" but well I'm not. There's tons of Bellsouth fan boys on this site who will stick up for Bellsouth again and again. So how do you defend Bellsouth now?

If I could pull the plug on BellSouth existence I would. I ditched them almost two months ago. I am Bellsouth FREE!!! I guess this kind of attitude could be associated with communism. When you support Bellsouth, you are supporting communism and god kills a kitten every time you do.


pike
Premium,MVM
join:2001-02-01
Cleveland, OH
clubs:
·Vonage
·AT&T Midwest
·RoadRunner Cable

Truly sad.

It's too bad control of the internet has gone to greedy, for-profit corporations.

It wouldn't surprise me if this type of thing was already going on -- eg. SBC prioritizing Yahoo! traffic over Google, MSN, etc.

-Mike
--
XM411.com - XM discussion, reviews and community

packetscan
Premium
join:2004-10-19
Bridgeport, CT
clubs:

Monopolist

I did say this would be coming!

Damn trolls Wouldn't Listen!
--
Who do you want to pay off today?

en102
Canadian, eh?

join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA
·RoadRunner Cable
·DSL EXTREME
·DSL EXTREME

Re: Monopolist

Any way for a company to 'legally' make money for its shareholders.

If they are at a profit cap on their current product, start extorting money. What good would a 6000/608 product be, if a filter the size of a T1 was put on a main portal. I'm sure that it Bell South had its VoIP product out, there wouldn't b e a traffic issue, and they would be the first to cry foul if someone filtered their traffic.

pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD

said by packetscan See Profile :

I did say this would be coming!

Damn trolls Wouldn't Listen!
So you switch ISPs. What's the big deal?
--
Rove / Rumsfeld 2008!

packetscan
Premium
join:2004-10-19
Bridgeport, CT
clubs:

Re: Monopolist

What's the big deal?

If Bellsouth does this and gets away with it.

I fear EVERY ISP would then be willing try it..

They are in business to make money.
--
Who do you want to pay off today?

pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD

Re: Monopolist

said by packetscan See Profile :

If Bellsouth does this and gets away with it.
If people cancel this ISP because of this stupid idea, then by definition BS won't be getting away with it. When people call BS and complain that Google doesn't load fast enough (especially since there is almost nothing in terms of HTML on their pages) and the CSR tells them that Google didn't pay the BS bribery fee, those customers will most likely cancel BS and switch to another ISP.

Other ISPs will see this and the smart ones won't repeat this mistake. You would have thought though that BS would have learned from SBC when they made this statement and then had to retract it.

BTW - BS can either mean BellSouth or Bull$#!+ in this post. I trust you will be able to decide the proper context
--
Rove / Rumsfeld 2008!

DaSneaky1D
Tell me, where is your father?
Premium,MVM
join:2001-03-29
The Lou

Re: Monopolist

People are not that smart to understand that.

rahlquist
Redeye

join:2001-10-30
Villa Rica, GA

said by pnh102 See Profile :

If people cancel this ISP because of this stupid idea, then by definition BS won't be getting away with it.
Thats fine, and what happens when the backbone provider do the same thing? Say Level3 decides google can have 2 terrabytes over their portion of the backbone per month. Anything beyond that they throttle back to 3Kbps, unless Google pays their extorion...
--
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pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD

Re: Monopolist

said by rahlquist See Profile :

Thats fine, and what happens when the backbone provider do the same thing? Say Level3 decides google can have 2 terrabytes over their portion of the backbone per month. Anything beyond that they throttle back to 3Kbps, unless Google pays their extorion...
But again, people will complain to their ISPs about not being able to access their websites. Customers won't care about backbone providers and such; they just want to access Google and they will happily switch from an ISP which doesn't provide them with access to Google to one that does. Of course, ISPs have more than one choice in backbone providers and they could also dump a provider if it pulled this kind of a stunt.
--
Rove / Rumsfeld 2008!
npyoung

join:2002-09-23
Jacksonville, OR

Re: Monopolist

You assume that there's someone to switch to for broadband. In most markets, if you are lucky, there are two: cableco and telco. Ben and Ben Dover.

pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD

Re: Monopolist

said by npyoung See Profile :

You assume that there's someone to switch to for broadband. In most markets, if you are lucky, there are two: cableco and telco. Ben and Ben Dover.
This goes back to the issue of usability. If both choices of ISP block access to the content that a customer wants, why would the customer bother using either choice? In the end it still hurts the ISPs if they do this.
--
Rove / Rumsfeld 2008!
Skippy25

join:2000-09-13
Hazelwood, MO

Re: Monopolist

Dude cut down to half doses and come back to earth.
WMLGuy

join:2000-06-05
Rockaway, NJ

That's the best thing that can happen. Then Google won't index their pages and won't send any emails to servers that go through their networks. And no one will know of level3 or bellsouth that doesn't live in their territories.

What all these companies aren't realizing is that they use the services of these other companies as well. I'm sure there are people who call long distance from BellSouth land lines to vonage users and pay bell south for the phone call.

googleisgood

Google will buy L3 or anyone else that gets in their way.

dot-bomb v2

@sonnet.com

Re: Monopolist

No, google will not. As soon as stock speculators realize google is at the mercy of the ISPs, their stock will collapse.
NerdMods

join:2004-07-20
Atlanta, GA

First of all, they will more than likely never be told that.

Second, if anyone expects to get a true 6 megs down or even half from any web site, they are sadly mistaken. All web sites have caps per user. Get over it. And if Google takes up so much bandwidth, then I am sure its in their right to charge for it (just like toll roads) and people still drive their cars down they every day.

Even if it is filtered at 1.5 down, be lucky that Google even allows you to grab content at 100k sec.

For more reading see this older post.

»arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20···498.html

Mizzat
This space for rent
Premium
join:2003-05-03
Atlanta, GA
·AT&T Southeast

Re: Monopolist

Though most of your post is way off topic and wrong. I pull data from many websites at over 6Mbps...

It sounded to me like the SBC guy in that article was talking about a VoIP provider using his pipes without a subscriber having service through SBC, or at least the VoIP paying a reseller fee to SBC. I can understand that...

As far as this news topic. I doubt what this BellSouth gentleman said will ever get off the ground. It sounds like a pipe dream to me, no pun intended. I doubt consumers will agree with it, or businesses. Since most websites use co-location to run their websites, there are many providers that connect to those co-los, they simply wouldn't choose BellSouth if was going to cost their customers more, or cause latency, IMO. If he is speaking of charging for DSL/DIA users that have BellSouth, I don't know if any customer would want a company that has other companies choose who is more of a priority for them. Sounds like a bad move in my opinion.

I think they should be allowed to prioritize some traffic over their own networks, such as the IP TV channels customers pay for and medical data it suggests in the article, but charging sites for their priority seems like a bad idea to me.

pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD

said by NerdMods See Profile :

First of all, they will more than likely never be told that.
You are probably correct. For the sake of argument, let's say the customer calls tech support on multiple occasions and is given varying types of BS responses as to why a website like Google is "slow." How many of these customers are going to just say "screw this" and switch to a new ISP, especially if said ISP won't degrade connectivity to these websites?

Internet access is a tool just like any other. If a tool breaks or doesn't do the job correctly, most people replace the tool. The same goes with Internet access.

said by NerdMods See Profile :

Second, if anyone expects to get a true 6 megs down or even half from any web site, they are sadly mistaken. All web sites have caps per user. Get over it.
That's true for the most part as well, the actual speed that a website loads is dependant on how wide the pipes are between the customer and the website. However, BS plans to increase load times for sites which don't pay up by gunking up the connection at the user's end.

I also don't think such a move by BS would go unnoticed even outside of the tech community. Look at all the problems that SBC ran into when it tried to implement the same thing.
said by NerdMods See Profile :

And if Google takes up so much bandwidth, then I am sure its in their right to charge for it (just like toll roads) and people still drive their cars down they every day.
That's an issue between Google and its hosting providers. Google can always pay them more so more people can access their site. If I were Google, I would put up a different page for BS customers which says something along the lines of "Can't see this page fast enough? It's BS' fault. You should try a new ISP instead"
--
Rove / Rumsfeld 2008!

packetscan
Premium
join:2004-10-19
Bridgeport, CT
clubs:
·Optimum Online

Just up an Cancel..

Well you know what not everyone has that ability.. Why?

The Current Monopolist Regional telco system is Not built for Competition and if people want to compete they have to pay say SBC so there profits goto shit because they are forced to lease equipment / lines from the telco..

How many people can not get broadband period?
Thanks end of discussion.
--
Who do you want to pay off today?

dru

join:2000-09-14
Corona, CA

Switch if you can?

The problem is, the FCC recently issued decisions that release the Bell companies from having to lease their lines to other ISPs. Your only choice beside the cable company (and no ISP choice there)is the Bell's own ISP.
It is unclear whether the Bells will continue to lease access to their networks will continue after the FCC mandated term and long-term contracts run out. Currently, those of us in the industry speculate they will, but will impose terms and conditions that will make continuing a moot point. Verizon quickly yanked access to FIOS lines for independent ISPs within a week of the FCC ruling. ISPs can resell Verizon Online Internet FIOS under a branding agreement at retail prices, which is pointless for any ISP to do so.

In a couple of years, you may not have the choice to switch to another DSL based ISP. It will be Bell(South) or your cable company. You might, or might not have a third wireless option. Oh yeah, never mind, that's Verizon or Cingular owned by the same people, and the FCC is allowing them to snap up or otherwise tie-up new and available licensed frequencies for Wimax and other forthcoming technologies.

The FCC thinks that the "Duopoly" between cable and DSL is good for consumers and the market competition between them is sufficient to keep the internet free and open. Yeah, right.

Take one look at who owns the largest cable network after the mega mergers and Adelphia acquisition, and only a fool would bet that they will be above "content management" or other euphemisms that will be created to justify turning their pipelines into a content cash-cow.

Now look at the combined SBC/AT&T backbone, and Verizon/MCI ("uunet")backbone. Together they currently provide the majority of the World's backbone! Even if independent ISPs thrive and cable companies don't impose fees to content providers or play QOS games, what is to stop the two Bell companies from de-peering content companies or "optimizing" bandwidth to favor their services and offerings.

Unfortunately, our current administration and congress has been bought and paid for by the Bell and cable lobbyists.
To cement the propriety of the mega-mergers, the Bells hired union and charitable organization shills to stack state PUC hearings. They now have big money to lobby, advertise, and reinforce their monopoly position using legal, political, and even questionable ethics, like hiding behind organizations claiming to be "consumer groups" against government abuse and unfair competition.

Cities and local governments who have seen the handwriting on the wall with the current efforts for "national franchises" are expressing interest in establishing open broadband or wi-fi networks for all their citizens. Before you can say "unfair government competition" the Bells and cable companies descend upon City Hall with referendums, lawsuits, and attacks from shill "consumer groups" along with every other method to frustrate any meaningful attempt to establish an alternative to the entrenched incumbents.

The justification and reason for all this is that the directors of these mega-companies are responsible to their shareholders for a return on investment. Well, if that is where the buck finally stops, then any AT&T, Verizon, Time-Warner, etc shareholder should be aware that they are all a sharing the end of a free, open internet as we now know it.
--
I feel like I'm diagonally parked in a parallel universe.

quetwo
That VoIP Guy
Premium
join:2004-09-04
East Lansing, MI
·TDS

Re: Monopolist

said by pnh102 See Profile :

said by packetscan See Profile :

I did say this would be coming!

Damn trolls Wouldn't Listen!
So you switch ISPs. What's the big deal?
Not everybody has the option of switching to another ISP. If there are no other CLECS that have DSL in your CO, then you are pooched, and have to put up with their BS. (Assuming you won't consider going back to Dialup)

MxxCon

join:1999-11-19
Brooklyn, NY
clubs:

WTF

is that douchebag smocking?!
WMLGuy

join:2000-06-05
Rockaway, NJ

Confused

Quote from article:

"If I go to the airport, I can buy a coach standby ticket or a first-class ticket," Smith said. "In the shipping business, I can get two-day air or six-day ground."

Bellsouth, along with every other ISP, has this today. Slow Internet access (six-day ground): $14/month
Faster Internet access (two-day air): $40+/month
JonR800
Premium
join:2003-08-06
Farmington, MI
·Lightning Bolt DSL

Re: Confused

said by WMLGuy See Profile :

Quote from article:

"If I go to the airport, I can buy a coach standby ticket or a first-class ticket," Smith said. "In the shipping business, I can get two-day air or six-day ground."

Bellsouth, along with every other ISP, has this today. Slow Internet access (six-day ground): $14/month
Faster Internet access (two-day air): $40+/month
I don't think it could be said any better. Someone needs to remind these execs what business they're in.

Telcos are just green with envy (and greed) that content providers are really starting to make money. They probably had a big meeting to figure out how to get a piece of the pie.
majella77

join:2001-10-03
Chicago, IL

Re: Confused

They must have held this meeting of the "minds" in the dunce corner.

What is to stop telcos from doing this to any internet site, not just Google?

Do you think Google and the others are going to just sit around wand wait for ISP's to pick their pockets?

All BS and others will be doing by trying this is accelerate the competition in their own markets. What Google and others will do is fund their own ISP services and where would that leave BS and SBC?

dot-bomb v2

@sonnet.com

Re: Confused

It will leave them laughing all the way to the bank as @Home v2.0 crashes and burns, or Rhythms Netconnections v2.0 crashes and burns, or WinFirst v2.0 crashes and burns, or Northpoint v2.0 crashes and burns, or Global Crossing v2.0 crashes and burns, or 360 Networks v2.0 crashes and burns.

Haven't you guys figured it out yet? This game has already been played, and the monopolies won.

yeoldwizard

@md.us

nuh uh uh... not quite right:

6 day ground: DSL
2 day air: fiber
paying for 2 day air and then having the shipping company tell you "too bad 2 day air now means 6 day ground, and even though they are the same they have different names and diferent prices": BellSouth, and with some extent nearly every other ISP. I mean, if you have 1 15/2 setup w/Verizon, youre not allowed to host your own personal non-commercial FTP server. I mean, WTF? you have all that bandwith youre never going to use with an always on connection and you cant run your own FTP server?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

F***ing leeches who just want to siphon away all of our money........... god f*** them......

Wireless Major

@cavtel.net

Re: Confused

While I agree that you should be able to use the bandwidth how you see fit, Verizon is just using standard CYA procedures.

Probably 75-80% of those who wish to host a personal non-commercial FTP server would be doing so to distribute warez. 2MB/s upload makes a fine dump. Before OOL decided to crack down and cap people, a few years back, lots of people who had OOL connections used them to provide dumps for IRC channels.

Anywho, as to the main topic, I fail to see how Google or any other content provider should be forced to pay tribute payments to ISPs for QoS of their content. Content providers themselves pay for bandwidth, so its not like anyone is getting a free ride, except for the consumer.

I feel bad for those who have BellSouth and are unable to switch to another high-speed carrier. One can only hope that someone with big enough guts decides to roll out their own infrastructure and bring competition to the table....and not be legislated or injunctioned out of business.

King P
Don't blame me. I voted for Ron Paul
Premium
join:2004-11-17
Inman, SC

hahaha

this is one of the reasons why I ditched BS and went with Speakeasy and Vonage. Now they have NO control over my bandwidth.
--
Forget 'em, Support the Indies.»www.ind-music.com
apsinkus

join:2002-06-25
Chicago, IL

won't hold water

Just cause I want a Ferrari, does not mean I can have one.

BellSouth argument will not stand up in court. Anti-trust laws will kick in real soon.

Wills

join:2001-01-03
Port Charlotte, FL

Re: won't hold water

Why wouldn't this hold up? This is no different than Google charging to list your page higher in their search engine.

BellSouth is doing the exact same thing to Google...
--
I have a shaved head, a goatee, and tatoos. Don't you realize the rules don't apply to me.
vic102482
Premium
join:2002-04-30
Upper Marlboro, MD
·Verizon FIOS

Re: won't hold water

said by Wills See Profile :

Why wouldn't this hold up? This is no different than Google charging to list your page higher in their search engine.

BellSouth is doing the exact same thing to Google...
That is the business model of google and ads, classifieds are based on paying for your "spot" the internet you pay for a point of presence, not a point of presence over XYZ. Way too dangerous to trust in the hands of an incompetent company like Bell South.
--
I tie a rope around my penis and jump from a tree, don't you wanna grow up to be just like me!!!!

NotSoAnonymous

@cox.net

"Legislating otherwise "would be the same thing as saying to Google, 'I think we ought to have regulation on Google that says when I enter a search term, the top search result is always a random event,' " Smith said, claiming that Google allows clients to pay to influence the ranking of search results. In fact, Google does not allow payments to influence general search results, although advertisers pay for top billing on the lists that run on the right side of Google's pages." -> Straight from the article.

Are you sure you read the whole thing?
LoungeLizard

join:2003-11-21
Vallejo, CA

Bellsouth Clown

Who is this BellSouth clown, and what Circus do we send him to?

skelet0r
Premium
join:2004-04-26
Florence, AL

MONEY!

I was under the impression that if you paid to run a web server, that you were getting a good line, hence the higher bill. So basically they are saying that they can give extra bandwidth, for special applications, but you have to pay even more, nice. So when are they going to start charging extra because you play games online, I mean surely that takes up as much bandwidth as Voip.

packetscan
Premium
join:2004-10-19
Bridgeport, CT
clubs:

Re: MONEY!

Poser Mobile?

Poser BELL !
petecellar

join:2002-10-15
Philadelphia, PA

resource hog

Right- Because Google's pages take up sooo much bandwidth with their fancy graphics and busy pages!

skelet0r
Premium
join:2004-04-26
Florence, AL

Re: resource hog

they aren't talking about Google, they are talking about sites like Heavy or Liquid Generation. They are also talking about applications that use bandwidth at a constant rate, such as Voip and Videochat. Basically, it seems to me they are saying that they can reduce latency for said applications, its just going to cost more, which is pretty sad. You would think that Qos would be a concern for all Telcos and Cable internet providers, but apperantly only if you are willing to spend.
petecellar

join:2002-10-15
Philadelphia, PA

edit:
December 1st, @10:46AM

They would just use yahoo or something - then they'll have to charge them too!

MSauk
MSauk
Premium
join:2002-01-17
Sandy, UT
hmmm, what is that smell? ......is that crack? I think it is time that they drug test BS executives!

richardpor
Fur it up

join:2003-04-19
Portland, OR


Both got it wrong. When I buy service from a Telco or Cable provider, I am buying a connection not content. Google provides content but not the connection. It is ridiculous for a Telco to demand me or a company pays for content that is not being provided by the Telco. If Google wants to levy a charge for content it is Google’s business not Bell South.

ropeguru
Premium
join:2001-01-25
Hollywood, FL
clubs:


edit:
December 1st, @10:56AM

If I remember correctly, SBC was the first to start this kind of talk a few weeks back. Now that one telco has started I guess all of them are going to jump on the band wagon.

I see it like this.. I pay my ISP for access to the internet for getting to the information I need. I don't care whether it is web pages, FTP or Voip, I pay for access to the internet. I DO NOT pay for a higher speed plan to access just only the data that is on my ISP's network.

I can see it now. The next marketing will be "15 MegaBit Unlimited High Speed Internet Access".

Fine Print: Unlimited means only 2 GB per month data transfer. High Speed Internet Access means only to those parts of the network that we own and control. All access out of our control will be limited to 50 kilobits per second unless you pay us much more!
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FWD#: 223611
tkdslr

join:2004-04-24
Pompano Beach, FL
·Speakeasy


edit:
December 1st, @10:59AM

Same argument got Level 3 in trouble,
with the provisions of the Clayton Anti-trust Act.

Deceiving it's retail customers and then with holding access in exchange for a ransom. BS that's a really bad idea.

I.E. It is deceptive to advertise enhanced DSL speeds, if the customer can only connect(at those rates) to those content providers who have to payed off BS.

TK Junk Mail
Go ahead, make my day
Premium
join:2002-03-03
Margate City, NJ
clubs:
·Comcast

Bell South won't win this particular fight. Yes, they are big and rich. But they will be fighting it out with web content providers that are bigger and richer(MS, Google, APPLE, SUN,TV networks, Fox, ABC, NBC, Disney, SONY, etc, etc). And if they expect Congress to back them over these others, they made an error in judgement.
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