Interesting People mailing list archives

Previous By Date Next
Previous By Thread Next

Re: Comcast DOCSIS 3.0 Launches, More Speed @ Same Price

From: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Date: Thu, 23 Oct 2008 11:04:56 -0400


Begin forwarded message:

From: Lauren Weinstein <lauren () vortex com>
Date: October 23, 2008 10:58:52 AM EDT
To: dave () farber net
Cc: lauren () vortex com
Subject: Re: [IP] Re: Comcast DOCSIS 3.0 Launches, More Speed @ Same Price 


Dave,

The most obvious way that the increased bandwidth will be used is
for the faster downloading of increasingly higher definition TV
shows and movies, of the sort that cable companies don't tend to
list in their usage comparison charts that I've seen (usually they
only equate usage with much more compact and lower visual quality
[SD] standard definition programming).

This at a time when Comcast (like all modern cable companies) is
pushing their own Pay-Per-View and VOD HD content and other HD
services, and implying that SD is just so 20th century.

As more Internet-based, competing HD video services come online,
bandwidth caps (at various levels) are likely to be hitting more and
more subs, and forcing them to choose the cable company video offerings
instead of the outside services offerings.

--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein
lauren () vortex com or lauren () pfir org
Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800
http://www.pfir.org/lauren
Co-Founder, PFIR
  - People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org
Co-Founder, NNSquad
  - Network Neutrality Squad - http://www.nnsquad.org
Founder, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com
Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com

- - -



--Apple-Mail-1--495497499
Content-Type: text/plain;
        charset=US-ASCII;
        format=flowed;
        delsp=yes
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit



Begin forwarded message:

From: "Livingood, Jason" <Jason_Livingood () cable comcast com>
Date: October 23, 2008 10:03:07 AM EDT
To: <dave () farber net>, "ip" <ip () v2 listbox com>, <simonli () gmail com>
Subject: RE: [IP] Re:   Comcast DOCSIS 3.0 Launches, More Speed @ Same
Price

Some replies to Simon and IP inline:

While having more bandwidth for the same price is probably a good
thing from a consumer standpoint, could this change browsing/
downloading habits enough that it would allow users to reach the 250GB
cap much faster?

On their FAQ, they claim that 99% of the users have not exceeded this
cap so far, but as discussed in previous threads here, that is likely
going to change, pretty quickly.  Is Comcast prepared to raise the cap
if people actually *use* this bandwidth, or might there be some kind
of creep back to the rumored metered access?

I can tell you from studying previous speed increases that we
certainly expect the average user consumption to increase (which is
obviously far, far, far below even 25GB on a monthly basis).  But in
most cases, the leisure time of our customers isn't doubling, and the
amount of movie-downloading or email sending isn't doubling (pick your
application) in the immediate term.  Instead, customers simply get
their content much faster.

That being said, I'd expect that over time, new applications will
sprout that take advantage of this higher bandwidth, just as when
broadband was first released.  Personally, I am really interested to
see what   kinds of new apps pop up over the next few years that are
geared towards leveraging wideband-like speeds.  What new apps will be
developed that are novel or unexpected, surprisingly useful, and
otherwise interesting to broadband users?  I believe this presents an
opportunity for some new software innovation.

Jason




-------------------------------------------
Archives: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/247/=now
RSS Feed: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/247/
Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com

--Apple-Mail-1--495497499
Content-Type: text/html;
        charset=US-ASCII
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
<html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webk= it-line-break: after-white-space; "><br><div><br><div>Begin forwarded messa= ge:</div><br class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><div><div style=3D"margin-= top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font = face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helve= tica; color: #000000"><b>From: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"= 3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">"Livingood, Jason" &lt;<a href=3D"mailt= o:Jason_Livingood @cable.comcast.com">Jason_Livingood () cable comcast com</a>>= </font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-botto= m: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" color=3D"#0= 00000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>Date: </ b></font=
<font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">Octob=
er 23, 2008 10:03:07 AM EDT</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; marg= in-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvet= ica" size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #= 000000"><b>To: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font= : 12.0px Helvetica">&lt;<a href=3D"mailto:dave () farber net">dave () farber net <= /a>>, "ip" &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:ip () v2 listbox com">ip () v2 listbox com</a>>,= &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:simonli () gmail com">simonli () gmail com</a>></ font></di= v><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; mar= gin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" styl= e=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>Subject: </b></ font><font f= ace=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica"><b>RE: [IP] R= e: <span class=3D"Apple-converted-space">&nbsp; </span>Comcast DOCSIS 3.0 L= aunches, More Speed @ Same Price</b></font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: = 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min- height: 1= 4px; "><br></div> </div> <div style=3D"WORD-WRAP: break-word; - webkit-nbsp-= mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space"> <div dir=3D"ltr" align= =3D"left"><font color=3D"#0000ff" size=3D"2" face=3D"Arial"><span class=3D"= 609104213-23102008">Some replies to Simon and IP inline:</span></ font></div=
<font color=3D"#0000ff" size=3D"2" face=3D"Arial"></font><font color=3D"#0=
000ff" size=3D"2" face=3D"Arial"></font><br> <blockquote style=3D"BORDER-LE= FT: #0000ff 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN- RIGHT: 0= px" dir=3D"ltr"> <div dir=3D"ltr" lang=3D"en-us" class=3D"OutlookMessageHe= ader" align=3D"left">While having more bandwidth for the same price is pr= obably a good thing from a consumer standpoint, could this change browsin= g/downloading habits enough that it would allow users to reach the 250GB = cap much faster?<span class=3D"609104213-23102008"><font color=3D"#0000ff" = size=3D"2" face=3D"Arial">&nbsp;</font></span></div> <div dir=3D"ltr" lang= =3D"en-us" class=3D"OutlookMessageHeader" align=3D"left"><span class=3D"609= 104213-23102008"></span>&nbsp;</div> <div dir=3D"ltr" lang=3D"en- us" class= =3D"OutlookMessageHeader" align=3D"left"><span class=3D"609104213-23102008"=
On their FAQ, they claim that 99% of the users have not exceeded this ca=
p so far, but as discussed in previous threads here, that is likely going=
to change, pretty quickly.&nbsp; Is Comcast prepared to raise the cap if=
people actually *use* this bandwidth, or might there be some kind of cre= ep back to the rumored metered access?&nbsp;</span><br><span class=3D"60910= 4213-23102008"><font color=3D"#0000ff" size=3D"2" face=3D"Arial">&nbsp;</fo= nt></span></div> <div dir=3D"ltr" lang=3D"en-us" class=3D"OutlookMessageHe= ader" align=3D"left"><span class=3D"609104213-23102008"><font color=3D"#000= 0ff" size=3D"2" face=3D"Arial">I can tell you from studying previous spee= d increases that we certainly expect the average user consumption to incr= ease (which is obviously far, far, far&nbsp;below even 25GB on a monthly = basis).&nbsp; But in most cases, the leisure time of our customers isn't = doubling, and the amount of movie-downloading or email sending isn't doub= ling (pick your application) in the immediate term.&nbsp; Instead, custom= ers simply&nbsp;get their content much faster.&nbsp;&nbsp;</font></ span><= /div> <div dir=3D"ltr" lang=3D"en-us" class=3D"OutlookMessageHeader" align= =3D"left"><span class=3D"609104213-23102008"><font color=3D"#0000ff" size= =3D"2" face=3D"Arial"></font></span>&nbsp;</div> <div dir=3D"ltr" lang=3D"= en-us" class=3D"OutlookMessageHeader" align=3D"left"><span class=3D"6091042= 13-23102008"><font color=3D"#0000ff" size=3D"2" face=3D"Arial">That being = said, I'd expect that over time, new applications will sprout that take = advantage of this higher bandwidth, just as when broadband was first rele= ased.&nbsp; </font></span><span class=3D"609104213-23102008"><font color=3D= "#0000ff" size=3D"2" face=3D"Arial">Personally, I am really interested to s= ee what kinds of new apps pop up over the next few years that are geared = towards leveraging wideband-like speeds.&nbsp; What <em>new</em> apps wil= l be&nbsp;developed that are novel or unexpected, surprisingly useful,&nb= sp;and otherwise interesting to broadband users?&nbsp; I believe this pre= sents an opportunity for some new software innovation.</font></ span></div=
<span class=3D"609104213-23102008"><font color=3D"#0000ff" size=3D"2" face=
=3D"Arial"></font></span><font color=3D"#0000ff" size=3D"2" face=3D"Arial">= </font><font color=3D"#0000ff" size=3D"2" face=3D"Arial"></font> <div dir= =3D"ltr" lang=3D"en-us" class=3D"OutlookMessageHeader" align=3D"left"><span= class=3D"609104213-23102008"><font color=3D"#0000ff" size=3D"2" face=3D"Ar= ial">&nbsp;</font></span></div> <div dir=3D"ltr" lang=3D"en-us" class=3D"O= utlookMessageHeader" align=3D"left"><span class=3D"609104213-23102008"><fon= t color=3D"#0000ff" size=3D"2" face=3D"Arial">Jason</font></span></ div></bl= ockquote></div></div><br><div style=3D"padding:0 4px 4px 4px;background-col= 
or:#fff;clear:both" bgcolor=3D"#ffffff">
<hr>
<table border=3D"0" cellspacing=3D"0" cellpadding=3D"0" width=3D"100%" styl= 
e=3D"background-color:#fff" bgcolor=3D"#ffffff">
 <tr>
   <td padding=3D"4px">
     <font color=3D"black" size=3D"1" face=3D"helvetica, sans-serif;">
<a style=3D"text-decoration:none;color:#669933;border-bottom: 1px sol= 
id #444444"
href=3D"https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/247/=3Dnow"; title=3D"Go to a= 
rchives for ip">Archives</a>
<a border=3D"0" style=3D"text-decoration:none;color:#669933" href=3D"https:=
//www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/247/" title=3D"RSS feed for ip"><img b= order=3D0 src=3D"https://www.listbox.com/images/feed- icon-10x10.jpg"></a> <td valign=3D"top" align=3D"right"><a style=3D"border-bottom:none;" href=3D= 
"http://www.listbox.com";>
<img src=3D"https://www.listbox.com/images/listbox-logo-small.jpg";
title=3D"Powered by Listbox" border=3D"0" /></a></td>

     </font>
   </td>
 </tr>
</table>
</div>
</body></html>=

--Apple-Mail-1--495497499--





-------------------------------------------
Archives: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/247/=now
RSS Feed: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/247/
Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com
Previous By Date Next
Previous By Thread Next

Current thread: