Time Warner Drops Metered Billing Plan
Good news today: Time Warner is dropping its trial plans to bill users based on their Internet usage.
One of the suspicions has been that this was a ploy on Time Warner's part to stop the growth of online activities such as watching streamed movies via Netflix, and thus push customers back to Time Warner's cable business.
Previously: Is the End of Unlimited Internet Near?; Time Warner Tests Metering Internet Use.
posted by Laura @ 11:33 PM
3 Comments:
OH I'm so glad! I would hate to have to go back to the days of America Online when they charged by the hour.
A comment from Moira Finnie:
"I live in one of the test cities where Time-Warner tried to float this idea. Thanks to the effort of outraged citizens, congresspeople & senators (of both parties) in our area, the cable company backed down pretty rapidly. I think that it is interesting what you said about some possible reasons for this. Some other germs of this idea might have been arrogance, thoughtlessness and having a relative monopoly on their service area.
I know that bandwidth usage is a real, legitimate issue for providers, but, on this occasion I think the execs at TW looked out the windows of their well appointed offices long enough to see people struggling to survive in this economy (with some trying to maintain legitimate home based businesses via the internet)--not to mention those customers with the pitchforks and flaming torches.
It's good to know that others are aware of this ill-timed corporate attempt, Laura. Thanks for noting it.
Moira"
Thanks for your notes, Raquelle and Moira. I've been having visions of going backwards in time if this were to be implemented...I think timed usage would have a huge negative impact on many aspects of the Internet economy, whether it's video streaming, uploading photos, video phone services, etc. etc.
Best wishes,
Laura
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