Comments on: TWC's $150 Unlimited Broadband: New Way to Fleece Customers http://gigaom.com/2009/04/10/twcs-150-unlimited-broadband-new-way-to-fleece-customers/ Fri, 10 Feb 2012 22:52:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Northern Light’s Analyst Views » Banned Caps on Internet Limits http://gigaom.com/2009/04/10/twcs-150-unlimited-broadband-new-way-to-fleece-customers/#comment-167143 Mon, 11 May 2009 23:33:50 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=45366#comment-167143 [...] those streams provide. Stacey Higginbotham at GigaOm makes an interesting point in this regard. Higginbotham notes, ” A quick check this morning shows that the pricing isn’t just a 285 percent increase [...]

]]> By: greed - no bandwidth caps in austin http://gigaom.com/2009/04/10/twcs-150-unlimited-broadband-new-way-to-fleece-customers/#comment-167142 Sat, 25 Apr 2009 17:04:02 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=45366#comment-167142 [...] becoming less and less attractive when there is so much content available online for free. “GigaOM astutely notes that $150/month for unlimited internet is the exact amount Time Warner would need to pull in to [...]

]]> By: Brett Glass http://gigaom.com/2009/04/10/twcs-150-unlimited-broadband-new-way-to-fleece-customers/#comment-167141 Mon, 20 Apr 2009 19:51:55 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=45366#comment-167141 If you’re going to be so hostile (e.g. saying things such as “stop lying”), there is probably no point trying to talk sense to you; you obviously do not care about the facts. The truth of the matter is that the wholesale cost of backbone bandwidth is going up, not down. I know; I buy it for my ISP. And Mr. Drake here seems likewise not to know a thing about the realities of the ISP business.

]]> By: Metered broadband will kill online video http://gigaom.com/2009/04/10/twcs-150-unlimited-broadband-new-way-to-fleece-customers/#comment-167140 Wed, 15 Apr 2009 01:39:33 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=45366#comment-167140 [...] 75 cents to $15 (unless you max out the overage fees on the 100 GB per month tier and default into unlimited service for $150). This means the bandwidth for “Twilight” would cost between $2.85 and $20.60. After adding in [...]

]]> By: Metered Broadband from TWC = $20 Movie Downloads?! | mymediamusings http://gigaom.com/2009/04/10/twcs-150-unlimited-broadband-new-way-to-fleece-customers/#comment-167139 Tue, 14 Apr 2009 17:50:35 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=45366#comment-167139 [...] 75 cents to $15 (unless you max out the overage fees on the 100 GB per month tier and default into unlimited service for $150). This means the bandwidth for “Twilight” would cost between $2.85 and $20.60. After adding in [...]

]]> By: The Metered Broadband Math: As Much As $24.59 to Rent “Twilight” http://gigaom.com/2009/04/10/twcs-150-unlimited-broadband-new-way-to-fleece-customers/#comment-167138 Tue, 14 Apr 2009 15:22:51 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=45366#comment-167138 [...] 75 cents to $15 (unless you max out the overage fees on the 100 GB per month tier and default into unlimited service for $150). This means the bandwidth for “Twilight” would cost between $2.85 and $20.60. After [...]

]]> By: Alfred Newman http://gigaom.com/2009/04/10/twcs-150-unlimited-broadband-new-way-to-fleece-customers/#comment-167137 Mon, 13 Apr 2009 20:19:49 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=45366#comment-167137 Thats all well and good but Verizon has been spending billions in upgrading their infrastruture to handle all this “wasteful” bandwidth because they realize they are not the cable company and they don’t need to compete with online streaming videos, let alone downloadable video games.

The money has been there to upgrade the network but they have chosen to not do so like Comcast. They could have already had their hardware switched over to DOCSIS3.0 which would have solved most, if not all, the problems you bring up but the fact that the money was merely wasted. Sure I can’t say all the money was wasted but I can point out were some of it went – http://gizmodo.com/5018572/ten-million-pixel-comcast-display-wows-viewers-with-un+throttled-ultra-hd-video

And heres the icing on the cake. Australia, the country that has always been pro teired services when it comes to bandwidith has stated it will spend up to 30 billion dollars in upgrading it’s network to fiber. Hmmm… I wonder why that is. Maybe because they realize that with all the services available online they will have to upgrade the network mediums to be able to provide those streaming videos, video games, etc.

Brett, you may be speaking of smaller ISPs that could benefit from metered bandwidith but we are speaking of Time Warner Cable, not your business. Instead of looking at the bigger picture you’re focused on the TWC feed-bag that has been strapped to your head.

]]> By: Rahul Sood http://gigaom.com/2009/04/10/twcs-150-unlimited-broadband-new-way-to-fleece-customers/#comment-167136 Mon, 13 Apr 2009 20:02:43 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=45366#comment-167136 Do you think Verizon could also go this route of tiering up its FIOS service?

]]> By: Dan http://gigaom.com/2009/04/10/twcs-150-unlimited-broadband-new-way-to-fleece-customers/#comment-167135 Mon, 13 Apr 2009 17:35:14 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=45366#comment-167135 Brett is arguing from an entrenched interest, which colors his perspective and argument. We see this in his schizoid references to utilities. Bandwidth is getting cheaper, and there is a reason it is CABLE operators employing these schemes. This isn’t rocket science. These guys are terrified of becoming dumb pipes but like it or not that’s all they are. Even their traditional model is based on fear of the dumb pipe model – hence the furious resistance to a la cart cable television service.

Like it or not, bandwidth is a utility service. It ought to be regulated like a utility.

]]> By: Lee Drake http://gigaom.com/2009/04/10/twcs-150-unlimited-broadband-new-way-to-fleece-customers/#comment-167134 Mon, 13 Apr 2009 14:02:43 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=45366#comment-167134 How are you bringing competition to your area? What is your area? What precisely are you doing besides trolling on this website and calling people names? I’m not a lawyer, lobbyist or pundit. I’m just a guy who owns a small business in the community that TWC is targetting that’s pissed at being ripped off by Time Warner. I’m mad for me, and I’m mad for my customers – most of whom won’t have a clue what hit them when they get their first bill for up to $150/month for internet.

I put a lot of time and money into creating the http://www.verizonfiber.com which is targeted at bringing competition to Rochester. I truly believe that if TWC had direct competition with an equal or superior product that this whole argument would go away – which is why they’re not proposing it in cities where they do have competition. The Competition would EAT THEIR LUNCH.

I would like you to CITE YOUR SOURCES (other than your personal opinion) as to how the sky is falling here. I cite all my sources both here and in the website. My source for direct internet cost to deliver internet to the consumer is based on TIME WARNER’S PUBLIC 10-K statement in which their CEO declares that their cost per consumer is going down, he’s declared this for a number of quarters IN A ROW. Either he’s lying to his shareholders or he’s lying to consumers – you chose I’m happy with either.

Numerous other studies (also cited on my website) back up the position that while usage is going up about 40%/year cost to deliver is going down at an almost equal rate. So far Mr. Hobbs has yet to cite his source that this is not the case, and even if he did – I’m betting you it would be a Cable Industry funded source. You show me proof otherwise I’ll consider it, otherwise you are just blowing smoke and the argument is over.

]]> By: Brett Glass http://gigaom.com/2009/04/10/twcs-150-unlimited-broadband-new-way-to-fleece-customers/#comment-167133 Sun, 12 Apr 2009 22:01:56 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=45366#comment-167133 Lee, unlike the lawyers, lobbyists, and pundits who know jack about how an ISP is actually run, I AM bringing competition to my area.

]]> By: Brett Glass http://gigaom.com/2009/04/10/twcs-150-unlimited-broadband-new-way-to-fleece-customers/#comment-167132 Sun, 12 Apr 2009 21:59:09 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=45366#comment-167132 No, Lee: The facts do not bear out YOUR case. You are taking figures from Time-Warner which lump cable TV service (a high profit item) together with Internet service and attempting to derive information about Internet service from them; sorry, but you can’t do that. You are also greatly misinformed when it comes to bandwidth costs. Bandwidth is far and away our ISP’s largest expense, and costs per megabit have been going UP lately, not down, due to consolidation in the backbone market and price gouging in the “middle mile.” I know; I’m in the business, while you are merely a busybody.

]]> By: Brett Glass http://gigaom.com/2009/04/10/twcs-150-unlimited-broadband-new-way-to-fleece-customers/#comment-167131 Sun, 12 Apr 2009 21:53:19 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=45366#comment-167131 Internet is not a “traditional utility,” and the very worst thing we could do is regulate it as such. Like gas stations, grocery stores, and other local businesses, it is a business which is best run locally and by local small businesspeople. Users need support and hand holding that no huge, nationwide corporation can adequately provide, and only someone who lives in an area can really serve it well. Folks, you may have an option for two pipes from the cable company and the telephone company, and that’s fine. But the third pipe is local, and it’s the best pipe of all.

]]> By: John McCain http://gigaom.com/2009/04/10/twcs-150-unlimited-broadband-new-way-to-fleece-customers/#comment-167130 Sun, 12 Apr 2009 20:00:33 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=45366#comment-167130 Dear Brett,

We sincerely thank you for being the voice of reason on this important topic. I have personally been assured that there is nothing wrong with our Internet tubes. We are the greatest country in the world, and our telecommunication policy is working for the American people. God bless America, and the FCC.

yours truly,

JM

]]> By: Sam Johnston http://gigaom.com/2009/04/10/twcs-150-unlimited-broadband-new-way-to-fleece-customers/#comment-167129 Sun, 12 Apr 2009 08:42:31 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=45366#comment-167129 It seems that many people don’t have that luxury, and even when they do, the service and prices are much the same. We have seen elsewhere (e.g. France) that better services can be delivered for a fraction of the price… with information and entertainment fast becoming an essential service perhaps you guys ought to follow this example.

Sam

]]> By: bunty http://gigaom.com/2009/04/10/twcs-150-unlimited-broadband-new-way-to-fleece-customers/#comment-167128 Sun, 12 Apr 2009 08:17:33 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=45366#comment-167128 Brett’s is the best reply; it makes the most sense and is backed up by facts, figures and links. The rest of you lose the argument, and that includes Om and his team.

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