NationStates Jolt Archive

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080602/ap_on_hi_te/tec_time_warner_cable_internet;_ylt=Aj59O06coXHaylPTKmIT7OKs0NUE

Time Warner, in a decision that I hope capsizes them as well as anyone else thinking of doing this, has decided to meter it's internet usage under the guise of "fairness." By which they mean, "money grubbing." Anyone with a broadband connection can make the cap for the slowest, cheapest service offered in a day. The fasted, most expensive one can easily be made in a month but is less likely to happen. If they want to be fair, charge those people using less, less, do not attack those using more. With the full-speed ahead pushes to digital distribution by Steam, Gametap, Netflixes, iTunes, Amazon, Napster, etc, caps will hurt even the lowliest of users - your friends have a high-speed line but don't really do anything but surf the web and read email, but they have a subscription to Netflix and plan to get the box that lets them easily stream media to their tv (unlimited media can be streamed on the majority of their service plans). Assuming they even have the highest cap possible, their chance of going over the cap in a month is around 100%. Now think about what happens with the $1 for each gigabyte over 5 for the cheapest service - you are paying the same price for the fastest connection while you have the slowest. Hell, I'm pretty sure I downloaded 3 gigabytes just yesterday at around 200kb/s.

*Writes that down*

I thought everyone already did this? Whoever my family are with certainly do. We reached our limit about 4 days before the end of the month.

I thought everyone already did this? Whoever my family are with certainly do. We reached our limit about 4 days before the end of the month.

I was with suddenlink for a couple of years and they didn't do this... i probably downloaded 10gb in a weekend.

I thought everyone already did this? Whoever my family are with certainly do. We reached our limit about 4 days before the end of the month.
In some places, probably all of that ones available do. In other places where there is competition, it's unlikely. But if the ones I was with adopted a cap, I would find a new provider immediately.

I thought everyone already did this? Whoever my family are with certainly do. We reached our limit about 4 days before the end of the month.

Virgin Media don't, as far as I'm aware.

Virgin Media don't, as far as I'm aware.
Nope, they don't. And if they introduced it, they'd lose at least one customer.

That's me, by the way.

Basically, with five people living in this house, each with their own computer, and two of whom regularly use BitTorrent, we'd hit any limit pretty damn quickly.

I thought everyone already did this? Whoever my family are with certainly do. We reached our limit about 4 days before the end of the month.
Verizon doesn't.. at least not here.

oh you lucky dogs with choices!

i am happy to have a service that lets me get reasonably fast internet. it has a 10gig per month cap, which sucks, but at least its not metered on the weekends so i can watch tvshows and movies online then.

it is the only fast service available to me and as it is i had to take down several trees and tree limbs in order to get it.

As far as I know, ALL companies in Aus have a cap.

Nope, they don't. And if they introduced it, they'd lose at least one customer.

That's me, by the way.

Basically, with five people living in this house, each with their own computer, and two of whom regularly use BitTorrent, we'd hit any limit pretty damn quickly.They may not limit the amount that you can download, but the service is getting sucky and intermittent. Even the 2Mbps package isn't regular. I'm pretty sure they choke download rates rather limit the absolute max.

They may not limit the amount that you can download, but the service is getting sucky and intermittent. Even the 2Mbps package isn't regular. I'm pretty sure they choke download rates rather limit the absolute max.
Maybe for you...

Sounds like a plan to dump all the 5% "heavy users" into DSL. I can see why they don't want someone with 5 pc running bt 24/7 to be using their service. Also the limitation helps cut down the whole illegal download problem (after all time warner also offers cable TV). So I think they are taking a good step into making a lot of money while saving a lot of resources at the same time.

Of course this will make their "speed" completely meaningless since you will most likely not be able to use it. making their service only slightly better than dial up at 2x to 5x to cost.

My ISP has a cap, but it's high enough I haven't hit it in awhile.

A few years ago the cap was lower (10 GB/month), but there was no enforcement or penalty provisions. The worst thing that ever happened was my ISP sent me a letter that said "last month you used 1067% of your monthly download limit".

I thought that was pretty funny, given that it isn't actually a download limit, but a limit of combined upload and download, but apparently the guy who wrote the letter didn't understand the rule.

I can see why they don't want someone with 5 pc running bt 24/7 to be using their service.
Or one person with a Netflix/iTunes tv account. Or one person with Gametap. Or one person with Steam.

Or one person with a Netflix/iTunes tv account. Or one person with Gametap. Or one person with Steam.

Or anyone who wants to buy their games online from Steam or direct2drive or what have you..

Or one person with a Netflix/iTunes tv account. Or one person with Gametap. Or one person with Steam.
I have GaveTap. I don't find it moves a lot of data back and forth.

D2D purchases do. Torrents certainly do.

So long as they tell you ahead of time what the cap is, and offer a "premium" service that allows you to do more, I really don't see the problem.

It's not unprecedented. Car rental companies also often limit how many miles you can drive before they start charging you extra for excessive use.

I for one will never sign up with an internet company which charges extra if you go over your broadband limit, unless every ISP does it.

The deal I have with my current ISP (iinet) is that when I go over my limit usually half way through the cycle (I knoe I need to buy more but I can't afford it at the moment), I am dropped to dial up speed, without extra charge.

SBC doesn't do this shit, and I'm getting 6mbps+ here, not to mention the fact that their service has been much better than Time Warner's ever was.

Verizon doesn't.. at least not here.

^ This.

Virgin Media don't, as far as I'm aware.

There's no cap, but if you're a heavy user, they throttle your bandwidth at "peak hours".

So do what I do, and do all your downloading at night, and it's all good :)

So long as they tell you ahead of time what the cap is, and offer a "premium" service that allows you to do more, I really don't see the problem.

It's not unprecedented. Car rental companies also often limit how many miles you can drive before they start charging you extra for excessive use.

The problem here is that as all other businesses move online and we move to theoretically increase our broadband speed, broadband companies move to cap our download limit thus negating the advances in broadband speed and the move to digital distribution.

My ISP has a cap, but it's high enough I haven't hit it in awhile.

A few years ago the cap was lower (10 GB/month), but there was no enforcement or penalty provisions. The worst thing that ever happened was my ISP sent me a letter that said "last month you used 1067% of your monthly download limit".

I thought that was pretty funny, given that it isn't actually a download limit, but a limit of combined upload and download, but apparently the guy who wrote the letter didn't understand the rule.I think all mainstream Canadian ISPs have a cap. I don't know if any actually enforce it. Shaw used to call us when we hit the cap, but did nothing otherwise. That was until Telus started promoting their service in the area. We are now on Telus' crap service, and they do not provide any bandwidth gauge at all. They have never bugged us about it, but I'm sure I've hit it.

I have no freakin' clue how I'd live with a cap. It's madness.

The problem here is that as all other businesses move online and we move to theoretically increase our broadband speed, broadband companies move to cap our download limit thus negating the advances in broadband speed and the move to digital distribution.

QFT

Consumers need to dig their heels in whenever possible in regards to things like this, or it will only get worse.

You think you're bitching about gas...wait till you have to bitch about data.

How do they expect to have ANY customers?

I use Rapidshare - which means I download a TV show *season* in a single night.

I don't see how it can be maintained.

Isn't pretty much standard everywhere outside the US?

You guys have no idea how lucky you've been.



EDIT: Also, $1/GB excess charges is pretty damn cheap.

Isn't pretty much standard everywhere outside the US?

Certainly not in ISrael.

I thought everyone already did this? Whoever my family are with certainly do. We reached our limit about 4 days before the end of the month.

I've never heard of anyone doing so. At home I have city-run cable internet, and they don't.

At school, I have comcast, which blows fucking chunks, but not even they do.

Everyone does in New Zealand. You *used* to be able to get unlimited internet quite cheaply, albeit at terrible speeds, but then Telecom completed their transformation into Monopoly-zilla and started chewing up peoples' bank accounts, so now everyone has to pay through the nose for barely adequate Internet. It is apparently costing the country many millions in lost revenue.

EDIT: Also, $1/GB excess charges is pretty damn cheap.

Unless you are on the cheapest price plan where you can still exceed the size cap in a single day and you no doubt will in a month.