Is the END of Unlimited Internet Near?

[TotallyOz]

I love surfing and do so often. I download my music and videos and use tons with ITUNES downloads. Limiting my access would be a real pain in the ass. Here is the ABC News article.

Comcast Corp., the nation's second-largest Internet service provider, says it would set an official limit on the amount of data subscribers can download and upload each month.

Last week, Comcast -- the second-largest Internet service provider in the country -- announced that starting Oct. 1 it would officially set a threshold for monthly Internet usage.

In an online announcement, the service provider said that although it already contacts residential customers who use excessive amounts of bandwidth, it had never provided a specific limit. Now, Comcast said it will amend its user agreement to say that users will be allowed 250 gigabytes of monthly usage.

The company emphasizes that its cap is generous and will only affect about 1 percent of its 14.4 million customers. Experts say these customers might include heavy gamers and those who use a significant amount of bandwidth for creating or uploading video.

But industry watchers note that Comcast's decision is indicative of a trend by Internet service providers to move toward usage-based service plans.

For the rest of the article go to:

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Technology/story...9480&page=1

[BiBottomBoy]

My theory is they will test this out and find that it alienates so many customers that it isn't worth the hassle. And it will generate so much negative publicity for Comcast along the way that no other Internet provider will try it.

What Comcast is forgetting is that the type of people who eat up bandwidth are the type of people who really know how the Internet works and will know how to create blogs, online protests and all sorts of other shit

Plus, it's a direct invitation to hackers to attack Comcast's servers and/or create programs that will mask someones real Internet usage.

[Guest Conway]

I'm a Comcast customer. The first month they send me a bill for extra bandwidth usage, I will look elsewhere for an IP.

[BiBottomBoy]

And I suspect that's what everyone will do.

[AdamSmith]

I'm a Comcast customer. The first month they send me a bill for extra bandwidth usage, I will look elsewhere for an IP.

I had the same reaction. But how easy will it be to find one? In New England, the choices I can find are Comcast cable, or DSL from Verizon or ATT.

I must be overlooking some options...?

Also, once Comcast meters usage, will it take competitors long to follow?

Of course I can use my Verizon Blackberry as a tethered modem -- that is, I could if they would ever add support for Macs -- but the VZN broadband network leaves something to be desired in the way of speed.

[BiBottomBoy]

I suspect that others won't follow suit when the see how much crap comcast gets for trying to meter it.

[AdamSmith]

I suspect that others won't follow suit when the see how much crap comcast gets for trying to meter it.

Near-monopolists can take a lot of crap and still get their way.

[BiBottomBoy]

True but remember when Metallica went nuts on Napster and then all the other bands stopped going nuts on Napster because of all the bad publicity and bad feeling Metallica got over it?

[AdamSmith]

True but remember when Metallica went nuts on Napster and then all the other bands stopped going nuts on Napster because of all the bad publicity and bad feeling Metallica got over it?

Lemme try a different analogy.

Remember all the bad publicity and bad feeling that Standard Oil got at the height of the Gilded Age?

Did Rockefeller give a shit?

The company did fuck-all until ultimately the Supreme Court ordered a breakup.

I think Comcast and their brethren are more like the 19th-century oil and steel monopolies than like one of many rock bands.

[BiBottomBoy]

You may be right. I've been out of the states for eight years so I really don't know how monopolist they are.

Here, in France, we have tons of different choices for Internet so they'd have a hard time doing this.

Plus, if they ever metered usage here, people would just start stealing WiFi from their neighbors.

Nearly ever bar and cafe in town offers free Wifi and it's hard to not live near one because they are everywhere. The only reason people pay for Internet at all is that it's much faster when you have your own connection than if you are just stealing bandwidth from the corner bar.

[TotallyOz]

Here in Thailand, the Internet sucks. It is slow and often has issues. They do offer a very fast Satellite service here but they limit the bandwidth and thus, I avoid it. My slow Internet cost me more than most of my friends spend on their apartment each month and it is not as fast as your Comcast. The world has a long way to go to catch up to USA and the USA has a log way to go to catch up to Europe and Japan.