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Bandwidth Hog? Expect to pay more.


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Article from Chicago Tribune, 06-15-08 -

 

Some people use the internet simply to check email and look up phone numbers. Others are online all day, downloading big video and music files.

 

For years they have paid the same price for Internet access, regardless of how much they consumed. But now three of the country's largest Internet service providers are threatening to clamp down on their most active subscribers by placing monthly limits on their online activity.

 

One of them, Time Warner Cable, began a trial of "Internet metering" in one Texas city early this month, asking customers to select a monthly plan and pay surcharges when they exceed their bandwidth limit.

 

That same week, Comcast said it would expand on a strategy it uses to manage Internet traffic: slowing down the connections of the heaviest users at peak times.

 

AT&T also said Thursday that limits on heavy use were inevitable and that it was considering pricing based on data volume.

 

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Aaaaaand discuss................

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Not sure if I am for or against this... I would say it COULD be a good thing (being that there is some schmuck out there taking up MY bandwidth lol). But knowing the cable and communication companies- I could see the costs going WAY up for us gamers with out any control over it.

 

I say free internet for everyone and IF I am going to pay any more then we need higher UPLOAD SPEEDS!

 

oH AND

Screw the cable companies and Any other service provider.

 

*They advertise download speeds for a premium price- only you will most likely never achieve such speeds unless no one else is online in your area etc. Its like saying its only a 10 minute drive to work with out traffic... But 90% of the time it takes you 45 minutes to drive to work... How is that legal?

 

*Everyone ups the download speed and ups the price, but leaves upload speeds as slow a dirt- What this means is gamers get screwed all around. You pay allot more, get very little more upload speed and the extra download speed you are paying for is getting sucked up by your neighbor who is downloading music and movies all day.

 

I say go FIOS

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Guest NEO-X

they've been talking about this for years... i guess there's not a whole lot that we consumers can do about it.

 

Except bitch and yell.. but its not like that ever gets anywhere.

 

Right now my current isp is probably the worst in the nation, no exaggeration (Charter Communications) Hell, id pay any of those 3 ala cart pricing if it meant dependable service

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INFURIATES ME! >:(

 

Just like gas, they get you TOTALLY dependent and then SCREW YOU!

 

I don't just use the net to game (none at all here lately) and RARELY surf. Because I work from my home office, I am on email 24/7 and connected to my computer/server in the office multiple times daily uploading and downloading files, artwork, etc.

 

Not happy. Even the though of it is causing me strife! THANKS TOW :P

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I had the 10mb download and never saw any increase in speed over the 7mb download that I had, so I went back to the cheaper one. Coming out of my subdivision, they can not guarantee me any specific speed and their version of what is an acceptable decrease from what I am paying for (their ping speed versus what I expect for my money) is totally absurd. I am paying for 7mb, but consistantly get 4-4.5. Plus I am at the mercy of all these kids downloading crapola all night long and usually right at peak warring time. Frankly, we're all pretty screwed unless they can come up with some high-speed satellite connection and then you'll have to contend with weather issues.

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lafromla1 ]

I had the 10mb download and never saw any increase in speed over the 7mb download that I had, so I went back to the cheaper one. Coming out of my subdivision, they can not guarantee me any specific speed and their version of what is an acceptable decrease from what I am paying for (their ping speed versus what I expect for my money) is totally absurd. I am paying for 7mb, but consistantly get 4-4.5. Plus I am at the mercy of all these kids downloading crapola all night long and usually right at peak warring time. Frankly, we're all pretty screwed unless they can come up with some high-speed satellite connection and then you'll have to contend with weather issues.

 

Had Hughes. It BLEW badly.

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I posted an article a few weeks ago about this. Right now, for cable users, it is in a test phase and from the numbers they posted I doubt a lot of people would go over the barriers set. That being said if you own a home business you may want to look at Business Class, they may not have these limits.

 

I personally get a package since my company uses TWC Business class. You may want to see if your company has offers like this. I get an extra 1Mbps up and 7 Mbps down because of the package at the same price that I was paying. The package is called Telecommuter package.

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yes Comcast does offer somthing like this.. its called the Home Business Plan. Its a rip off though.. you pay up to 5 more a month and i get same speeds as always.. however i do pay the extra 5 in hopes that i am getting more then the next guy.. but my speeds show im a moron for paying extra...

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You will not have much of a choice..

Cable will be one company that supplies that area, & DSL will be another. If you are going to pay for cable anyway get it through your cable. if not, get it through DSL if available. (schools sometimes have different stuff ON Campus)

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Guest NEO-X

man i had 10 meg service for a while.

 

 

10 meg my fucking ASS...

 

i NEVER got that kind of service, did a ton of speed / bandwidth tests, to check my connection.. and they were all horrible, and this was on several different days, different times of the day...

 

When i bitched to Charter about it, they pretty much said go fuck yourself.

 

I hate it man..

 

 

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Just like the oil companies, ISP's have us by the short hairs. The only way to fight back is not to use their product. And like oil, with the internet is not likely to happen soon.

 

But I do see a problem. The "free" internet that is floating around the air waves on wireless routers. Someone is paying for that. But there is a way to shield your router I think, I'm not well versed in this kind of stuff.

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Guest NEO-X
Chili-Palmer ]

YUP, there will be a lot more stealing wireless access from neighbors.!

 

i do it multiple times a day as im driving around (as i do for work) I cant believe how many people do NOT lock their shit down

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I'm getting raped by Shitcast Comcast as it is. I'm paying for their best service available and I'm barely getting half of the speed I should. My last speed test was 8 down and 1.5 up.. It really sucks here too, because they practically have a monopoly on the area. The only other services available are AT & T and Verizon DSL, which are capped at 5 down and .75 up. I am so fed up with internet prices as it is, I don't know what I'll do if they charge for bandwith..

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I would relate the cable company more in lines with utility companies. There is no Viable compition..

 

Lets start a UF internet co-op!

 

We can set up different packages for different customer needs.

 

*Music and movie downloading package- Premium cost with very high DL rates, slower/ normal upload

 

*basic email browsing package- economical cost, basic internet browsing.

 

*Gaming package- premium cost with high download and very high upload speeds

 

Each package would be capped (would not let you suck up more bandwidth than you pay for).

 

lol

Just send me the check-

US25

 

 

 

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