Re: FCC Chair Rosenworcel Proposes to Investigate Impact of Data Caps

[Owen DeLong via NANOG <nanog () nanog org>]

> On Jun 16, 2023, at 13:16, Michael Thomas <mike () mtcc com> wrote:
>
>
> On 6/16/23 1:09 PM, Mark Tinka wrote:
> > On 6/16/23 21:19, Josh Luthman wrote:
> > > Mark,
> > >
> > > In my world I constantly see people with 0 fixed internet options.  Many of these locations do not even have mobile 
> > > coverage.  Competition is fine in town, but for millions of people in the US (and I'm going to assume it's worse or 
> > > comparable in CA/MX) there is no service.
> > >
> > > As a company primarily delivering to residents, competition is not a focus for us and for the urban market it's 
> > > tough to survive on a ~1/3 take rate.
> >
> > I should have been clearer... the lack of competition in many markets is not unique to North America. I'd say all of 
> > the world suffers that, since there is only so much money and resources to go around.
> >
> > What I was trying to say is that should a town or village have the opportunity to receive competition, where 
> > existing services are capped, uncapping that via an alternative provider would be low hanging fruit to gain local 
> > marketshare. Of course, the alternative provider would need to show up first, but that's a whole other thread.
> Won't Starlink and other LEO configurations be that backstop sooner rather than later? I don't know if they have caps 
> as well, but even if they do they could compete with their caps.
>
> Mike

Maybe, but ta the rate their prices have been going up and their reviews have been going down, it’s not at all 
promising. I’m in a wait and see mode with Starling. Every time I get just about frustrated enough with Comcast to 
shell out, I discover that Starling’s pricing has again moved above my threshold of frustration.

Owen