Internet pricing review

[lucky1]

Okay...I'm admitting I don't know what this means other than it'll cost more money to be on the web for 2-3 hours a day?

This article is from Canada, but presume internet providers want more money in the US too...

Let's discuss please.

http://www.thestar.com/business/article ... et-pricing

A short article in today's paper, from Canadian Press:
"CRTC Canadian Radio and Telecommunications Commission to Hear Public Views on Internet Pricing:
The CRTC is calling for public feedback on its controversial policy on usage-based internet billing, a plan that would allow providers to charge heavy Internet users more. The federal telecom regulator said last week it would delay a reform that was originally to take effect on March 1st while the policy is reviewed.

The CRTC added yesterday that it wants the public to suggest how to balance the needs of consumers and internet service providers, both small and large. The regulator's previous decision was criticized as being unfair to small internet service providers and their customers. The CRTC had given major internet providers permission to change their billing practices for wholesale service to the smaller providers. Critics of usage-based billing say it would put small ISPs at a disadvantage while defenders of the plan say heavy internet users shouldn't get unlimited service. "The great concern expressed by Canadians over this issue is telling of how much the internet has become an integral part of their lives," said CRTC chairman Konrad von Finckenstein in a statement."

Barb

[CTPalm]

Barb,

U.S. Gov. approved of the same B.S. - Coming soon to us.

Paul

[lucky1]

Well, obviously the big lobby telecom groups would rather charge everyone more than spend money enlarging their "pipe".
They've convinced governments so far.

But my point is when are we users going to get what we're ALREADY paying for?
Example: I'm paying for high-speed, have had loads of trouble with servers down and slow speed, we did a speedtest one day and it came back "UGH, UGH, UGH".

I don't mind paying for QUALITY.
But it really peeves me off paying for QUALITY in advance of ever seeing it.

Jay likely has some concerns too...
Barb

[Jay-Admin]

Not worried. Won't affect the majority of internet users. Unless you watch lots of movies etc. online everyday.
I'm sure most users won't be over on usage every month.
I don't like the way they put it through. It's bad news for small ISPs.

-Jay

[lucky1]

Thanks for that Jay.
But don't YOUR costs go up?
But I find it hard to believe our good ole' Telus would miss an opportunity to nail individual users for more money (sorry if I've offended anyone, but Telus is right beside Monsanto on my hate list).

lots of movies etc. online everyday

So it's on a daily basis? or monthly total hours?

What I also didn't like was that the regulators are ASKING the public's opinion as an afterthought...the "policy" has already been decided, and was about to be implemented March 1st.

Jay...probably a stooooopid question, but who/what ARE small ISP's?
Is it, say, a company with 10 servers on the same pipe?
And didn't fibreoptics give the industry--and people--so much more comparable bandwidth that "they" said "we're good for a long time" (before upgrades were necessary?)

So is moneygrab the only motive?
Or are the big telecoms short of cash for improving infrastructure?

Anyway, we all should submit our opinions to the government(s), folks... they asked. Let's not disappoint them.
They may not ask next time at all.

Barb

[Jay-Admin]

The cost might go up but they are trying to go after the heavy users who go over
the limit they are allocated for the month. As it stands those heavy users don't usually get billed
more so they say that they pass the costs of bandwidth use on to all of us.

Small ISPs buy bandwidth from the big players and resell to their customers. I know there are some small ISPs
here in Kelowna but I can't think of any names right now.Big telecoms are all for it.
They can now push the little guys out and get all the pie.

I'm sure there are other reasons why. Or so they want us to believe.

-Jay

[lucky1]

They can now push the little guys out and get all the pie.

Ah, thanks for your insight into this Jay.

After they push the little guys out, we little folks will be next as there'll be no competition.

Or worse, the few remaining big guys will collude and price fix, similar to food industry years ago, even though there are laws against that.
Oil companies today are likely showing them how to do it.

Either way we stand to eventually lose personal choices and see costs go up.
Sheesh...

Barb

[CTPalm]

One of the greatest threats to job creation in our current economy is runaway regulation that is all cost and no benefit. The controversial Internet regulations stifle innovation, investment, and jobs. A federal bureaucracy should not be picking winners and losers."

From this article
http://news.yahoo.com/s/zd/20110216/tc_zd/260780

Paul

[lucky1]

Exactly, Paul!
Excellent points.

But it all started somewhere long ago, when people started demanding more and more from government.

More in the way of "protecting" us, whether it be from criminals, or just demanding something as simple as bike paths and walking trails.
It all leads to governments getting bigger and charging us more for everything in user fees and development cost charges.
Some call it Socialism, but whatever it's handle, its effect is to stifle people who have the ability to think things through for themselves.

Ultimately the little people lose more and more freedoms and choice until one way we look up and say "why am I not allowed to cut this tree down on my own property?" Or getting a fine because your dog doesn't have a "current year" tag, despite it never leaving your own property.

We generally get what we deserve with complacency.

[lucky1]

What a faux-pas!

http://torrentfreak.com/u-s-government- ... ke-110216/

Barb

[lucky1]

And some computer users are freaked by this, even though it returned incorrect results for President Obama:

http://www.kesq.com/news/26920794/detail.html