RoadRunner going to METERED billing...

Ruh Roh.

Time Warner to test metered Web use
Posted by Marguerite Reardon

Time Warner Cable is testing a new pricing structure where heavy broadband users will be charged based on how much data they transfer, a company spokesman said Wednesday.

A trial for the new pricing scheme is expected to begin in Beaumont, Texas, later this year. Time Warner is testing the new pricing model to see if it can curb usage of peer-to-peer applications on its network, said Alex Dudley, a spokesman for the company.

Peer-to-peer protocols allow users to access content that is distributed throughout the network on other computers running the same application. It’s commonly used to transfer music and video files, as well as other large data files.

Service providers, such as AT&T, Comcast, and Time Warner, have been complaining recently that peer-to-peer traffic eats up valuable bandwidth. AT&T argues that much of this traffic is used to distribute illegal content, and the company is testing filtering technology to block it.

Comcast has taken a different approach. It has used traffic shaping to slow down some kinds of peer-to-peer traffic. These moves have prompted outcries from consumer groups, and the Federal Communications Commission is currently investigating whether Comcast has violated any of its policies or principles.

Meanwhile, Time Warner thinks that metering bandwidth usage will help solve the problem.

“The idea is to create a more consistent, enhanced experience for our customers,” Dudley said. “We can’t allow a small percentage of customers to use an inordinate amount of the network to the detriment of the majority of customers.”

My first impression of this new model is that Time Warner is treading on some dangerous territory. What is ironic to me is that the company will probably scare off the very high-end customers it wants to attract.

Think about this. Today Time Warner offers a fixed priced for data service. The fastest speed service available is for 10 Mbps downloads and 512 kbps uploads for $44.95 a month. Someone who is willing to spend $45 a month for 10 Mbps of bandwidth is probably the same person who uses peer-to-peer applications. Your basic run-of-the-mill users are probably subscribing to the cheaper 1.5 Mbps/256 kbps service for $29.95
I can almost guarantee you that the $44.95 customers are also savvy enough to know that they are going to lose in the metered-Web model.

And they will likely just switch to a competitor, such as Verizon Communications, which offers 15 Mbps downloads and 2 Mbps uploads on its Fios fiber service for $53 a month. Of course, the problem for most consumers is that Fios isn’t available everywhere

Can’t wait til a couple of months when FIOS is in Kenmore.
Buy bye Time Warner

yea i see everyone going to verizon now

horse shit.

again, to clarify the bolded item: this is to rollout Q4 this year… so expect it to hit this area 2009 at the earliest…?? Complete guess-timate.

FIOS ftw… love it

ha ha

/nelson

im gonna have like a 600 bill

:lol: @ “I’ll just switch to FIOS”. If one provider does it and gets away with it you can bet the others will be close behind.

I read this earlier this morning, so I got a little program to monitor my downloads.

Just basic surfing on digg, nyspeed, comsumerist, etc…over 3gig:wtf:

unless they use it as their competitive advantage

yea this is garbage

Yeah we had a nice chat at work today at how soon this “trial” will be failing.

Unless every company went this route, this is a sure fire way to lose business fast.

Shit that blows…

Will this possibly be cheaper for any of us?

:lol:

wait… I’m not done.

:lol:

still more

:lol:

Ok… I think I’m done. Do you really think they’ll lower the price for anyone? Hell no. For what you pay now you’ll get X GB of transfer and have to pay more for anything over that.

Don’t worry too much, TW runs each division very differently… I doubt that’ll ever hit here with FIOS rolling out.

time to lease a t line. then sell service to the neighborhood. profit.

i had to get rid of my fios when i moved to depew. im realy upset. time warner just installed my internet for me today and im paying more then what i paid for fios for half the speed.

i realy hope fios comes to depew soon so i can swtch back.:frowning:

one guy will always stay the other way… fios has the pipe to support it… just look at how Direct tv is with HD programing etc… they are leading the way in terms of value etc… and people are leaving cable in DROVES