ISP Bandwidth Caps are Really Rate Hikes

#1

Post by Deprecated » Thu, Jul 28, 2011, 5:14 PM UTC

ISP Bandwidth Caps are Really Rate Hikes
cringely.com

Re: ISP Bandwidth Caps are Really Rate Hikes

#2

Post by zheng » Thu, Jul 28, 2011, 6:06 PM UTC

Thanks for those normalized graphs. Really gives a striking visual rebuttal to ISP's baseless claims.

Re: ISP Bandwidth Caps are Really Rate Hikes

#3

Post by wmf » Thu, Jul 28, 2011, 6:20 PM UTC

Cringely doesn't mention ISPs' claims that they will increase the caps every year. I'm willing to wait for them to renege before breaking out the torches and pitchforks.

Re: ISP Bandwidth Caps are Really Rate Hikes

#4

Post by MrVitaliy » Thu, Jul 28, 2011, 6:23 PM UTC

The default 2Gb wireless internet cap from Verizon is pathetic.

It is even more pathetic with their 4G network advertisement. All it takes is 1(maybe 2) HD movies from Netflix to hit a monthly cap.

Re: ISP Bandwidth Caps are Really Rate Hikes

#5

Post by baddox » Thu, Jul 28, 2011, 6:36 PM UTC

I don't understand why ISPs aren't offering some benefit to their users when they introduce these transfer caps. Why not add caps to the lower plans and lower the price as well? If it's true that the vast majority of users don't get anywhere near the caps, then this would be beneficial to most users.

For heavier users, offer a plan with no cap (or, say, a cap 10x larger) and higher speed, and charge more for it. I think power users would be much more accepting of a price increase along with higher speeds than a simple addition of caps to all plans with no price change.

Re: ISP Bandwidth Caps are Really Rate Hikes

#6

Post by Ronkdar » Thu, Jul 28, 2011, 6:41 PM UTC

MrVitaliy wrote: post #4

The default 2Gb wireless internet cap from Verizon is pathetic. It is even more pathetic with their 4G network advertisement. All it takes is 1(maybe 2) HD movies from Netflix to hit a monthly cap.

the 2-5 GB caps are for wireless networks, aka 3G. How often do you download HD movies onto your phone? In the very next sentence it mentions 250 GB for desktop connections.

Re: ISP Bandwidth Caps are Really Rate Hikes

#7

Post by MrVitaliy » Thu, Jul 28, 2011, 6:52 PM UTC

Ronkdar wrote: post #6

MrVitaliy wrote: post #4

The default 2Gb wireless internet cap from Verizon is pathetic. It is even more pathetic with their 4G network advertisement. All it takes is 1(maybe 2) HD movies from Netflix to hit a monthly cap.

the 2-5 GB caps are for wireless networks, aka 3G. How often do you download HD movies onto your phone? In the very next sentence it mentions 250 GB for desktop connections.

Netflix client has been out on Android phone OS for awhile and is quite popular.

http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/mobilebroadband/?page=pla...

Default data plan for smart phone is $30/mo, capped at 2Gb/mo, on a 4G network.

Their maximum cap is 10Gb/mo for an outrageous price of $80/mo.

It is evident that the whole point of 4G network for Verizon is to bring their customer to the monthly cap at a blazing speed and start over-charging them by $10/Gb as soon as they can.

Re: ISP Bandwidth Caps are Really Rate Hikes

#8

Post by dmbass » Thu, Jul 28, 2011, 6:52 PM UTC

Ronkdar wrote: post #6

MrVitaliy wrote: post #4

The default 2Gb wireless internet cap from Verizon is pathetic. It is even more pathetic with their 4G network advertisement. All it takes is 1(maybe 2) HD movies from Netflix to hit a monthly cap.

the 2-5 GB caps are for wireless networks, aka 3G. How often do you download HD movies onto your phone? In the very next sentence it mentions 250 GB for desktop connections.

The point is that today we don't hit the caps, but metaphorical-tomorrow, we will hit them and it will be too late to change the precedents set today.

Re: ISP Bandwidth Caps are Really Rate Hikes

#9

Post by ronnier » Thu, Jul 28, 2011, 6:53 PM UTC

Ronkdar wrote: post #6

MrVitaliy wrote: post #4

The default 2Gb wireless internet cap from Verizon is pathetic. It is even more pathetic with their 4G network advertisement. All it takes is 1(maybe 2) HD movies from Netflix to hit a monthly cap.

the 2-5 GB caps are for wireless networks, aka 3G. How often do you download HD movies onto your phone? In the very next sentence it mentions 250 GB for desktop connections.

I watch HD streams using the Justin.tv app all the time, although I'm grandfathered in on a unlimited plan.

Re: ISP Bandwidth Caps are Really Rate Hikes

#10

Post by rexf » Thu, Jul 28, 2011, 6:57 PM UTC

baddox wrote: post #5

I don't understand why ISPs aren't offering some benefit to their users when they introduce these transfer caps. Why not add caps to the lower plans and lower the price as well? If it's true that the vast majority of users don't get anywhere near the caps, then this would be beneficial to most users. For heavier users, offer a plan with no cap (or, say, a cap 10x larger) and higher speed, and charge more for it. I th…

In the US, cable companies are often monopolies in providing broadband internet. They get away with offering mediocre product and poor service simply because there are no alternatives.

I've had the backwards situation where it was cheaper to buy basic cable TV + cable internet than stand alone cable internet.

It would be foolish of them to offer a cheaper, limited cable internet plan when they can make everybody pay more for their standard, unlimited (that is not unlimited) plan.