Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 23

Thread: Internet bandwidth capping for the USA?

Hybrid View

  1. #1
    Senior Member nihil's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    United Kingdom: Bridlington
    Posts
    17,188

    Internet bandwidth capping for the USA?

    It looks like US ISPs are investigating metered or capped bandwidth schemes:

    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30229181//

    I wonder how much of this is motivated by torrents and filesharing?

  2. #2
    AO's Filibustier Cheap Scotch Ron's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Swamps of Jersey
    Posts
    378
    It looks like US ISPs are investigating metered or capped bandwidth schemes:
    They are doing more than just investigating. Comcast is metering/capping my residential service.
    In God We Trust....Everything else we backup.

  3. #3
    Senior Member nihil's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    United Kingdom: Bridlington
    Posts
    17,188
    Hi CSR,

    Over here, we have had capped internet right from the start.

    To begin with (in dial-up days), we generally had "free" internet. The ISP didn't charge you because they got money from your Telco (no free local calls here, so you paid your Telco, and they paid the ISP).

    With broadband you were generally offered a range of packages with a low cap option to emulate the previous dial up option for people who didn't use the net very much. I guess it was a marketing strategy to support legacy options.

    There is usually a high-end option that is supposedly uncapped, but if you believe that, you are certainly more naive than you look. I have the uncapped option and have had no problems, even though I have sometimes downloaded very large amounts of data in a short period.

    My friend, who lives about 500 yards away and has the same deal with the same Telco is a guy who downloads a lot of audio/video and uses torrents. He must be on the same loop as me, and is about 300 yards closer to the telephone exchange.

    He gets 2Mbps (throttling?) whilst I get around 5.5, and has had a warning from them that he is using too much bandwidth, and they will start charging him for "excess usage" (a clear breach of contract in my opinion...........or misleading advertising......either way, they are violating our laws?).

    They say they don't cap and throttle.............but they DO! and that applies to all the major providers over here.

    You might like to check out this thread, as I shall certainly be participating

    http://antionline.com/showthread.php?t=278156

    The other major providers are just as bad.
    Last edited by nihil; April 23rd, 2009 at 12:11 AM.

  4. #4
    Banned
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Location
    Yes
    Posts
    4,424
    We're not being capped yet (TWC), but as the article notes, TWC has started implementing it in certain areas (and it's not a coincidence that it's happening in areas where they have a virtual monopoly).

    I wonder how much of this is motivated by torrents and filesharing?
    You can stop wondering - the answer is probably 99% All large ISPs also happen to either be or are involved with cable TV providers (or satellite in the case of AT&T), and torrents are a-hurting their ad revenue...

    I back up a 6+GB database from home every day... A cap would hurt :s

  5. #5
    AO's Filibustier Cheap Scotch Ron's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Swamps of Jersey
    Posts
    378
    You might like to check out this thread, as I shall certainly be participating
    What thread?

    Maybe you are over your limit.
    In God We Trust....Everything else we backup.

  6. #6
    Senior Member nihil's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    United Kingdom: Bridlington
    Posts
    17,188
    Sorry Ron,

    Forgot to press the button...............
    You know the feeling?



    I have edited the link in, but basically we have a "select committee" looking into capping, privacy and such concerns and they are actually asking for public opinion

  7. #7
    AO's Filibustier Cheap Scotch Ron's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Swamps of Jersey
    Posts
    378
    You know the feeling?
    All too well my friend.

    Getting old sucks... but the alternative is worse.
    In God We Trust....Everything else we backup.

  8. #8
    Senior Member JPnyc's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Posts
    2,734
    the only way this will happenis if everybody does it. As long as you have an alternative, companies won't try it. If Time Warner tried it, people around here would switch to FIOS in a heartbeat. I know I would.

  9. #9
    AO's Filibustier Cheap Scotch Ron's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Swamps of Jersey
    Posts
    378
    the only way this will happenis if everybody does it.
    I'm not too sure of that. In my town, the choice is comcast or slow as sh!t DSL.
    That's not really a choice. Currently, I would bet most of the country is in a similar situation. Until FIOS get rolled out nationwide (or other high speed alternatives come to market), the cable companies will get away with this capping thing.


    BTW...If FIOS was an option for me, I would switch to the 20/20 service in a heartbeat irrespective of the capping. "I feel the need for speed"
    In God We Trust....Everything else we backup.

  10. #10
    Senior Member JPnyc's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Posts
    2,734
    Quote Originally Posted by Cheap Scotch Ron View Post
    I'm not too sure of that. In my town, the choice is comcast or slow as sh!t DSL.
    That's not really a choice. Currently, I would bet most of the country is in a similar situation. Until FIOS get rolled out nationwide (or other high speed alternatives come to market), the cable companies will get away with this capping thing.


    BTW...If FIOS was an option for me, I would switch to the 20/20 service in a heartbeat irrespective of the capping. "I feel the need for speed"
    if there isn't a choice right now, there will be soon.Verizon is covering the country bit by bit.

Similar Threads

  1. EU says internet could fall apart
    By Egaladeist in forum Security News
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: October 15th, 2005, 07:00 AM
  2. How to get: Banned from the internet.
    By jinxy in forum Tech Humor
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: October 7th, 2005, 01:25 PM
  3. The Worlds Longest Thread!
    By Noble Hamlet in forum AntiOnline's General Chit Chat
    Replies: 1100
    Last Post: March 17th, 2002, 09:38 AM
  4. Anonymoity Tutorial
    By ac1dsp3ctrum in forum The Security Tutorials Forum
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: February 13th, 2002, 12:36 PM
  5. Denail Of Service FAQ
    By Ennis in forum The Security Tutorials Forum
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: November 15th, 2001, 07:42 PM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •