This is getting ridiculous

[voudonchilde]

Up early this morning reviewing online papers and news channels.
I come across a story which supports a disturbing trend I've seen over the course of the last year.

The story is on MSNBC, here is the link. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20633771/

Several month ago Sprint Nextel sent a letter to 1000 of its customers telling them they had till July 31st

Comments

[cassiusdrow]

This sort of thing has been going on for years, even back to dial-up days. Most "unlimited" internet connections have either a monthly hours connected limit (for dial-up) or monthly download limit (for broadband users), both of which are usually much higher than usage patterns of average users.

The root of the problem is that most of these internet providers make money by overselling their capacity, and heavy bandwidth users screw their profits by using more than what the company thinks is their fair share, requiring the company to make network upgrades sooner than expected in order to maintain a certain level of service for everyone.

It sucks, but business has always been about providing as little service for the highest dollar amount that the market will bear.

[voudonchilde]

what you say is true. I experienced the dial up thing back in the day when I would be in a middle of a download using zmodem protocols. Again with the broadband. Yet what puzzles me is if you don't want people to keep pushing the fraking cap than let them know what it is.
also these same companies that provide said services also provide all the other services which actually chew up the bandwith they are bitching about.

The content is out there, people want to access. if you don't want people to do it why provide services that make use of it and penalize people for doing just that.
Youtube, free video and paid video downloads, music, Instant messaging, picture swapping. all these things take it up and as more people get into it than the more they are gonna feel the need to redefine what a fair share is.

[ascher]

It really is a trend. How dare we use the services for which we pay? I see it happening with phone, internet and health insurance. It is part of some master plan, get us addicted to the technology/service then charge us more when we use more. Basic theory of economics - supply and demand.

[voudonchilde]

it is a trend. a market plan that is and has been out to determine the path of our lives. look at HMO's they are a great example of the kind of BS this country is going through.
Have you seen the new commercials about low cost insurance. "ficus trees","full names, not nicknames" thats what is being dealt with and not enough people are doing anything about it.
truthfully the problem lies in people grumbling about it and not doing anything about it.
I'm tired of grumbling. I'm going to find some way and some like minded people and see what can actually be done about it.

[svartulfr]

I think that is insane! I mean you pay for it, you should get to use it - all day, every day.

So use the internet, all the time! tell your friends to use it all the time, and have them tell their friends... and so on.
The isp's cant drop all of their customers, right?