Will your cable modem bills be going up?

http://www.neowin.net/comments.php?id=4903
from WinCustomize Forums
Will your cable modem bills be going up? That's the possibility. It has been reported that AT&T Broadband, Charter Communications and Cox Communications may be implementing a new pricing structure that limits the amount of bandwidth you can use.

This could be a set back for peope who use P2P services like KaZaA and Morpheus. One independent P2P expert told BusinessWeek "This is one of the greatest threats to peer-to-peer file-sharing." If these new pricing structures are implemented it could cause people to become more sensitive about the files they share which could cause a decrease file sharing amongst these services.

The cable companies state that the new pricing structure is not a move to partner with music companies to reduce piracy but is related to their econimic and business models. But one has to wonder with rising costs if that will also reduce their subscriber growth as well.
4,899 views 16 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
That's a scary thought. Time Warner has increased my bill 3 times in as many years. It has gone from $35 per month to $50. I used to get a reduced rate for subscribing to cable TV, but not anymore. If they decide to restrict my bandwidth on top of this, I'll have to start considering some alternatives.

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Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
for me the good news is that DSL already had tiered pricing so I hope this will not be affecting DSL.. I do know that cable internet customers are not gonna be happy...
Siege of Centauri
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I'm pretty fortunate. In Manitoba, Canada, Cable/DSL prices have been going down rather than up. The prices used to be $50, but are now around $35 - 40 canadian per month for full service. I'm using DSL and I actually switched to their light package which has a speed cap, but is only $25 per month, about what unlimited dialup access was just a few months ago. The speed is ok, about 5 or 6 times 56k dialup speed. Fast enough unless you're always downloading 100mb files.
Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
That's going to make a lot of people (like me!) angry. That said, I understand what they're doing and why - it's analogous to WinCustomize ensuring that a small percentage of their visitors don't suck down a large percentage of the bandwidth.

I've already had my bandwidth cut in half (from 300KB/s (bytes! not bits) to 150KB/s). The @home fiasco also forced me to start paying separately for usenet access. What a pain!

Looking at the bright side, I was visiting my inlaws whose cable service is supplied by COX. They only could manage 50KB/s sustained! I thought I had it bad but ComCast (in my area) is 3x faster.
Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top
This has already happened. Many of the newer companies, like Wide Open West, offer three different price structures, depending on how much bandwidth (how fast) you want your max connection speed.
Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top
D@mn, possible price hike already and their not installing it till next week.. >
Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top
In one year our broadband connection per month has gone up 20%, regardles of our cable TV and phone with the same company.

Why? There is absolutely no reason for the price to raise, we have not gotten anything new or any better connections. They just are getting gready, taking all they can.

Isn't this what the government is investigating with the oil industries and gas prices? Funny how they go ape over that, but couldn't give a shit with anything else simply because no one is screaming bloody murder over stuff like this.
Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Heh, you gotta love those huge U.S. companies. Greedy as hell. I'm on that same "low-speed DSL" that Aschell is on (it's a small world) and have no probs with it & no caps (except 17k/sec).

Of course, my friend with high speed shaw cable biotched enough until they gave him a $500 modem that gets approx 3.5 MEGABYES/sec, all for $39.95/month (cdn), with no montly limits whatsoever. Damn it makes me jealous sometimes > Oh well.

Long live P2P!
Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top
its not the speed they will be capping but how much you download. I think that sucks. I will switch to DSL the moment that happens and never look back.
Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top
DSL is not immune to this. Sympatico, the largest DSL provider in Canada has implemented bandwidth caps as well.
Reply #12 from WinCustomize Forums Top
The biggest problem with cable is that different companies control different areas of cities. Where i'm at i have Adelphia cabe but across the street it's ATT&T. With cable companies owning certain zones they can make prices whatever they want because there is no compatition, unlike with DSL.That being said, I'm already paying 55 bucks for it and can't get DSL in my area so if it goes up I'm pretty much screwed. >
Reply #13 from WinCustomize Forums Top
This is just an attempt for the cable providers to get kickbacks from the music and film industry. Aside from plain greediness on the side of the cable companies, of course. I have the feeling that as soon as this is implemented, DSL subscriptions are going to go up sharply. The cable companies prices have long been a thorn in my paw, so I'm not enamored of them in the first place. I agree with MooShoo about the government being selective about who they charge with violating anti-trust laws. Cable must have a huge lobby in DC, giving out some sweet incentives. Grrrrrrrrr. This pisses me off, and I'm just on a stupid 56K dial-up!
Reply #14 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Well, that nothing new for us in Canada.
My cable connection with Videotron is limited to 1 Gig upload and 3 gigs download per month, with a speed limit of 68k for upload (while 10 Meg for download).

I've never come even near 3 Gigs of download. And the price is right: I pay 30$ CA/month (about 20$ US).
Reply #15 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Those bastards. Don't they realise that people with cable are the ones who frequently download huge files? That's usually why people get cable! They're prolly going to switch it back to normal if we all boycott cable for a month or so
Reply #16 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Don't waist your breath.
It's the way it's going to be. Bandwith costs money.
Every broadband services is going to limit download, or charge you for the extra. (I think it's 1$/10 extra megs, which isn't too bad).
Maybe cable will be the first to go that way in the USA, but they're all going to follow, ADSL, et al.