FYI without further comment …
1. AT&T shuts down DSL metered billing experiment
By Sean Buckley |
AT&T's apparent decision to end its DSL metered billing trial in both Reno, Nev. and Beaumont, Texas is perhaps the service provider's realization that caps, even for non-power users, are far from fair.
According to a Broadband DSL Reports post, AT&T, while not confirming it ended the trials, said it was not bringing on new customers. However, consumer watchdog group Stop the Cap did interview one subscriber who said an AT&T customer representative read him a document that confirmed the trials ended on April 1. What's perplexing about the trial is that AT&T never made an official announcement or told users it canceled the trial.
And despite promises of more affordable broadband prices, metered broadband billing has been a bone of contention for users. Another case in point is Time Warner Cable's broadband meter trials, which were also conducted in Beaumont, Texas. After shouldering considerable protest from customers and Congress in various markets, including Beaumont, the cable MSO decided to halt its metered broadband billing plans last April.
For more:
- Broadband DSL Reports has this post
Related articles:
Congressman drafting bill to ban metered bandwidth billing
AT&T inflicts metered billing trial upon Texas town
AT&T puts bandwidth squeeze on Reno
Time Warner Cable puts wider metered broadband billing implementation on the shelf