There has been lots of talk about the possibility of the internet could become limited and even censored…..some of these are great conspiracies and again maybe not so “out there”…..
Comcast is about to makes its residential internet service a lot more like smartphone data plans for millions of customers, the Washington Post reports. Starting Nov. 1, Comcast will be capping the internet usage of customers in 18 markets—including 12 whole states—at 1 terabyte. According to Ars Technica, Comcast has had a data cap in place in some markets since 2012. For Comcast customers who exceed the 1TB monthly limit, Comcast will charge a $10 fee per additional 50 gigabytes up to $200. To avoid the data cap, customers can either pay an extra $50 per month for unlimited data or $300 per month for Comcast’s Gigabit Pro fiber-optic service. A list of markets that will be impacted by the data cap is here.
Comcast claims the data cap is “based on a principle of fairness”—the people who use the most internet will pay the most for it. But Engadget argues that doesn’t make complete sense, as in only the most extreme cases does someone using more internet impact anyone else’s internet usage. A Comcast executive has also acknowledged that the data cap is a “business policy,” not a technical necessity. Comcast says 99% of customers don’t use more than 1TB of data—enough to stream up to 700 hours of video or play 12,000 hours of online games—per month. But that may not be true for long, with the increasing prevalence of HD and 4K games and videos that use more data.
Is this just the beginning? Were all those conspiracy nuts being prophetic?
The day will come when Internet users are forced to purchase “Their Fair Share” of the Internet: Local municipal service reaching your own community only – $19 per month …. Statewide access reaching your own state only – $29 per month …. Regional Access reaching your choice of 4 states – $49 per month ….National Access – $110.00 per month …. Global Access – $500 per month ….and any and all kinds of tier packages and “Feature-Packed” packages at God only knows what price. By the way …. if you have censorable material on your site then you will have to purchase licenses to get your site into areas of the world where free speech is non-existent or at a premium and then nothing will be guaranteed. What has happened so far has it’s model in present Cable TV offerings but will become far more complex. Somebody is going to have to come up with an idea for the Internet that approximates PBS …. creating a “People’s Internet” that cannot be controlled from servers owing their alliegance only to governments and to money. The theory is already in limited practice and it is called “Mesh Networking” where “Peer-to-Peer” networks are worked out and these broadcast to each other in order to avoid the giant privately-owned servers that now control 99% of what appears on the world wide web.
Capitalism at its best…..
It’s very best! Workers of the world, Unite!
Too lazy to join
As with paranoia, if they really are out to get you, it’s not insane. Yes, they really are trying to get past the regulations, already. Of course they are; they feel they are entitled to make a profit off of anything they can fool people into buying…
Assholes.
gigoid, the dubious
Assholes is the best description…LOL chuq
Reblogged this on The Militant Negro™.
If and when I get the terabyte message – the answer for me will be easy – cut the line and switch to Cincinnati Bell for phone, internet, and TV. Not everyone will have this option immediately but… Depends on how passive customers are and how other greedy capitalists respond. Think that the Mexican Tracfone oligarch would respond by offering a bundle that customers could not resist.
Greed seems to always be the best motivation
I think that would be a disaster, the thing that has helped make the internet is the freedom and the flexibility. If restrictions were put on it, no1, it would sensor our free speech and no2, it would show that our government and their business cohorts cannot take people who have information on them.
I agree but they will sell it as if it is a benefit and not hindrance….chuq
Well,since I am under twitter surveillance & have been ‘suspended’ from the so called labour/Zio party..who gives a shit anymore!
My tune for Today,Tomorrow & Ever!
There is always another way to skin a cat…
FREE SPEECH FOREVER!
I am only grateful that I have not been zio/trolled recently….nasty fukers.
sticks & stones…
I ain’t consenting to nothing!
I am working on a paper about “free speech”….maybe you will like it
good o! 🙂 leaving on weds morn..10 days or I will kill some one..well many!
gggrrrrrrr
IT’S HERE!!! Really it is not so much censorship, at this time, as just plain greed and that has always been here. Fairness my ugly old lady ass! This HURTS the 1%. ~~dru~~
Aside….gawd save Penn and for that matter everyone else too.