Usage caps for DSL & U-Verse Customers coming in May
AT&T will cap DSL and U-Verse internet, impose overage fees (update) -- Engadget
This sounds like a way around Net Neutrality for AT&T. While they won't be prioritizing their video packets over others. They are essentially charging more for others to stream video and giving them selfs a pass. With the higher bandwidth caps for people who pay more to subscribe to their U-Verse service and saying their U-Verse TV service doesn't count against the bandwidth cap. So, since I'm using Netflix and Amazon on demand for my source of video, they are effectively squeezing out the competition with this move. I don't know what my current bandwidth usage is per month, but if I have to pay extra for U-Verse just so I can not use their service and continue watching video via other services... Then This seems a bit unfair. They are both charging more for the higher bandwidth cap and not counting their own video service against that cap. This is the anti-competitive techniques of AT&T of old. Straight out of the book I just finished The Master Switch
by Tim Wu. If I pay more for U-Verse to get the higher bandwidth cap I'm still under a more restrictive cap than people using AT&T's video service to get their entertainment.
Update: I've found AT&T's page describing the new policy and their link http://www.myusage.att.com/ to see my actual current bandwidth usage. Now that I have that usage meter, I see that Jan - Feb I used 55GB and Feb - Mar I used 48GB. So, even with watching Netflix movies and shows and Amazon on Demand movies we are still way under the 150GB cap! This fact doesn't change my opinion that their policy seems unfair for competition though. AT&T has chosen a good number for their bandwidth caps and the $10 for each 50GB over doesn't sound too bad either. However, they are still saying that their video packets are free and anyone else's cost money.
Update: Well, AT&T started officially metering bandwidth usage yesterday. According to the page they provide that lets me see my usage, my peak usage was last month with less than half of the 150 GB I'm allowed. So, for now the caps don't seem to affect me with my usage patterns. Netflix will survive!
AT&T will cap DSL and U-Verse internet, impose overage fees (update) -- Engadget
This sounds like a way around Net Neutrality for AT&T. While they won't be prioritizing their video packets over others. They are essentially charging more for others to stream video and giving them selfs a pass. With the higher bandwidth caps for people who pay more to subscribe to their U-Verse service and saying their U-Verse TV service doesn't count against the bandwidth cap. So, since I'm using Netflix and Amazon on demand for my source of video, they are effectively squeezing out the competition with this move. I don't know what my current bandwidth usage is per month, but if I have to pay extra for U-Verse just so I can not use their service and continue watching video via other services... Then This seems a bit unfair. They are both charging more for the higher bandwidth cap and not counting their own video service against that cap. This is the anti-competitive techniques of AT&T of old. Straight out of the book I just finished The Master Switch
by Tim Wu. If I pay more for U-Verse to get the higher bandwidth cap I'm still under a more restrictive cap than people using AT&T's video service to get their entertainment.Update: I've found AT&T's page describing the new policy and their link http://www.myusage.att.com/ to see my actual current bandwidth usage. Now that I have that usage meter, I see that Jan - Feb I used 55GB and Feb - Mar I used 48GB. So, even with watching Netflix movies and shows and Amazon on Demand movies we are still way under the 150GB cap! This fact doesn't change my opinion that their policy seems unfair for competition though. AT&T has chosen a good number for their bandwidth caps and the $10 for each 50GB over doesn't sound too bad either. However, they are still saying that their video packets are free and anyone else's cost money.
Update: Well, AT&T started officially metering bandwidth usage yesterday. According to the page they provide that lets me see my usage, my peak usage was last month with less than half of the 150 GB I'm allowed. So, for now the caps don't seem to affect me with my usage patterns. Netflix will survive!
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