Net Neutrality
• Internet Providers Ponder Bandwidth Limits For Heavy Users
• Comcast, Cox Caught Blocking BitTorrent
• Will Antitrust Law Save Net Neutrality?
• Few Are Neutral in Net Neutrality Battles
• Net Neutrality Supporters Testify
• Comcast Blocks Public From FCC Hearing
• Congress Gets Net Neutrality Legislation
• Time Warner To Test Metered Pricing For Broadband
• House Committee To Probe FCC
• FCC To Investigate Comcast For Blocking Net Traffic
• Verizon Wireless Opens Network to All Devices, Software
• Comcast Sued Over Internet Blocking
• Verizon Overrides Internet Searches With Its Own Results
• Comcast Blocks Subscribers From Some Services
• Verizon`s Abortion Block Raises Net Neutrality Concerns
• FTC Nixes Net Neutrality
• Wireless Spectrum May Hold Key To Net Neutrality
• Telcos Lift Block On FreeConference.Com
• FCC Takes Another Look at Net Neutrality
• AT&T Blocks Calls To Competing Conference Call Service
• Study: Ending Net Neutrality Would Hurt Consumers
• FCC, FTC Challenged To Protect Net Neutrality
• Net Neutrality Back on Congress` Agenda
• Net Neutrality Opponents Step Up PR Blitz
• AT&T Trumpets New TV Service
• Verizon Joins BellSouth in Retreat From Unexplained New DSL Fee
• FCC Nudges BellSouth Into Giving Up New DSL Fees
• FTC Head Urges "Caution" On Net Neutrality
• Net Neutrality May Derail Telecom Bill
• Google: No Net Neutrality Means Antitrust Fight
• Senate Prepares for Net Neutrality Showdown
• Congress Moves Quickly To Satisfy Telecoms` Net Neutrality, Cable Entry Demands
• Net Neutrality Gets Its Day In Congress
• Net Neutrality Wins Committee Vote In Congress
• Net Neutrality Attracts Surprising Allies
• Congress Wrestles with Net Neutrality
Broadband Internet users in the United States are used to a great many things, including slow speeds, high prices, and bad customer service, but they`re also used to paying a flat fee for all the bandwith they can handle.
But heavy downloaders and bandwith hogs may soon be paying more for the privilege, if one cable company has its way.
Broadband Reports obtained a memo from Time Warner Cable detailing its plans to test out a metered pricing plan for broadband service in Beaumont, Texas.
According to the report, new customers will be offered one of several "tiers" of broadband service, and the ability to track how much bandwith they consume on the plan via a special Web site. If users consume too much bandwith, they can be upgraded to a higher, more expensive, tier.
"Following the trial, a determination will be made as to whether or not existing subscribers should be charged...We will use the results of the trial to evaluate results for possible future nationwide rollouts," the memo said.
Time Warner initially did not verify the memo`s veracity, but later confirmed the test plan to Reuters.
"Largely, people won`t notice the difference," said a Time Warner Cable spokesman. "We don`t want customers to feel they`re getting less for more."
Although other countries` Internet service providers regularly offer tiered pricing structures, the United States` largest telecom and cable companies heavily advertise "unlimited" broadband access for one fee. Companies shy away from listing hard limits on the amount of bandwith a customer can use for fear of losing them to competitors.
Instead, customers who use large amounts of bandwith suddenly find their connections crippled or terminated without explanation, as was the case with several Comcast subscribers. Comcast denied that it had any "bandwith caps," even as customers complained that any caps or limits on their service should be disclosed in contracts and advertising.
ConsumerAffairs.com found out in 2006 that Verizon Wireless would cancel its EV-DO wireless broadband service for even slightly exceeding the company`s extremely low caps on usage.
Verizon was later forced to remove claims that it offered "unlimited" broadband service in order to settle a deceptive-marketing lawsuit brought against it in New York.
Unintended consequences
Although tiered pricing is often touted as a means to resolve fears of a "bandwith crunch" on the Internet, the model may also serve to constrain one of the Internet`s biggest sources of innovation -- user-created content, particularly home videos and movies uploaded on sites such as YouTube and Joost.
Bandwith-heavy services such as video hosting and sharing may never have gotten off the ground if users were concerned about exceeding caps on their bandwith, and if tiered services are adopted by cable and telecom providers on a nationwide basis, it may lead to slower usage of file-sharing services and video-sharing sites.
While that might mean fewer videos of pets performing silly tricks, it could also severely restrict the many ways Internet users communicate and share information via the Web.
