NNSquad - Network Neutrality Squad
[ NNSquad ] Re: Canada goes crazy
Charging by bits is the thin edge of a wedge that WILL lead to abuse for
profit in the future. We'd have to be naïve to think this is not 'A' reason
for Bell's move. Making money. It is their duty after all.
-----Original Message-----
From: nnsquad-bounces+paul.w.forbes=gmail.com@nnsquad.org
[mailto:nnsquad-bounces+paul.w.forbes=gmail.com@nnsquad.org] On Behalf Of
Matt Larsen - Lists
Sent: Friday, May 07, 2010 9:30 AM
To: nnsquad@nnsquad.org
Subject: [ NNSquad ] Re: Canada goes crazy
I'd like to add to the reasons that billing for bits is NOT crazy.
Anyone who has had to manage a network recognizes the need to balance
the nearly unlimited demands of users with the scarcity of network
resources. While many of the academics and lawyer types on this list
would like to imagine a perfect virtual network that has unlimited
capacity, the truth of the matter is that there are limits to a
network's capacity and the network resources degrade considerably when
users are not limited in how much they can consume.
As the operator of a wireless broadband network, I get to deal with
limited network capacity on a daily basis. After watching our per-user
bandwidth consumption steadily increase, we have begun implementing
bit-caps. A detailed description on what we did is available at
www.wirelesscowboys.com.
Bits may not be "consumed", but network resources certainly can be.
Pretending that network resources are NOT scarce is the the real bad idea.
Matt Larsen
vistabeam.com
wirelesscowboys.com
wispdirectory.com
[ Wireless and wired technologies have fundamental differences that
can indeed make differing billing and regulatory approaches
reasonable. What's really problematic is the way carriers have
pushed flat-rate data plans in both spheres and now, after
subscribers are "addicted," want to switch to measured models.
One might almost suspect that this was the plan all along, hmm?
-- Lauren Weinstein
NNSquad Moderator ]
On 5/7/2010 8:12 AM, Bob Frankston wrote:
> (Thanks to Aleks for this pointer)
>
>
http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2010/05/06/crtc-usage-based-billing-inter
net.html?ref=rss
>
>
>
> The idea of charging people for bits consumed is a crazy idea since you
> aren't consuming bits. We've been through this before - do I need to
explain
> once again how bad the idea is?
>
>
>
> . It creates scarcity. A copper wire (or fiber or radio) is just
> sitting there idle. We limit how much can be used.
>
> . Even if there is a temporary constriction somewhere else it
means
> we can't use the capacity locally. To take it to an extreme imagine if
there
> is such a limit in your house - you can't copy too many files between your
> computers.
>
> . FiOS VoD, for example, goes over IP through my router. I can't
> watch much "TV" [sic] if the limit is applied to those bits. If the limit
is
> not applied we have a vertical playing field where the provider has all
the
> advantages.
>
> . Any sane price doesn't allow making video affordable if we're
> going to make the cost of other uses visible.
>
> . As with SMS any market that permits prices to be millions of
time
> cost (determined by competition with Moore's law) isn't really a market in
a
> useful sense. It's rent taking gone to hostage taking.
>
>
>
> But basically it shows a deep inability to comprehend the very concept of
> connectivity using best efforts. It's railroaders banning the use of roads
> unless you buy a ticket for a ride every time you leave your driveway even
> if it is just to reorder the cars in the driveway.
>
>
>
> Others care to add to the reasons why this is crazy?
>
>
>
> http://frankston.com/public
>
>
> [ And coming soon to a U.S. ISP near you (and me) too, I'll wager.
> Since the FCC chairman has shown no interest in including any
> sort of pricing or realistically effective competition-enhancing
> elements in his proposed "third-way" regulatory plan, the
> dominant ISPs are ensured a captive audience of users who will
> "pay through their noses until their skulls are a vacuum" (as one
> high level ISP executive expressed it to me yesterday --
> picturesque, this guy, and a master of invective as well ...)
>
> -- Lauren Weinstein
> NNSquad Moderator ]
>
>
>
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>