Re: AT&T Monthly Bandwidth Caps Are Here

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Brett Glass <brett () lariat net>
Date: November 4, 2008 6:30:15 PM EST
To: "Henrik B" <blondino () gmail com>, dave () farber net
Subject: Re: [IP] Re: AT&T Monthly Bandwidth Caps Are Here

At 03:27 PM 11/4/2008, Henrik B wrote:

> Dear Brett,
>
> I know that as a broadband provider yourself you have a different
> viewpoint than most of us who just consume it. But when I, as a
> consumer, has been sold a connection with "up to 12 Mbit/s"

This is a direct consequence of the "megahertz effect" -- the  
recognition
that most consumers, not understanding the technology, want to base  
their
decisions on a single number. Both the cable and telephone companies
therefore advertise their services as going "up to" the maximum speed
of the modem -- regardless of the actual capacity the user is allowed.  
Our
ISP does not do that, because we believe that it's deceptive. But  
frankly,
we may be forced to, because users place so much stock in that one  
number.

> and "unlimited data"

I've never seen a plan that offered "unlimited data." In every case  
where
a broadband service has ever been advertised as "unlimited," it has  
meant
"unlimited hours of connection time," as compared with dialup.

> I don't want to get told that I have to limit my
> consumption to protect the company that sold it to me.

You do so with electric power and natural gas or heating oil, do you
not? Why should broadband be different? In a finite universe, there
must be limits on everything.

> If they have
> chosen a pricing model that doesn't cover their costs,

They can't have such a pricing model. That's why they are looking for
ones that do not expose them to huge losses. Since bandwidth costs
money (big bucks, in many places), there must always be implicit or
explicit limits on the amount a user paying a given price can consume.

> then they have
> been stupid and deserves to go out of business.

They haven't been stupid; they've been consumer-friendly. But now that
the FCC has attempted to prohibit the most consumer-friendly way of
limiting bandwidth consumption, ISPs have no choice but to implement
ones that are less consumer-friendly. Do not blame the ISPs; blame
the FCC (well, three out of the five Commissioners, anyway) and the
Washington lobbyists that hornswoggled them.

--Brett Glass





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