Will Industry Kill the 'Net As We Know It'?

[tedster]

Thought provoking article from TOMPAINE.com [tompaine.com]

Most people now pay a flat fee for online access. But the big media companies offering Internet service; Comcast, ATT, AOL -- would like to change that, and already have in a few test locations.

The broadband industry’s plans to institute tiered pricing have been widely reported in its trade press. There are numerous articles about replacing today’s open 'Net environment with industry-self-described versions of "walled gardens" or "Internet Lite."

[SmallTime]

I am guessing 2 years...
Good article.
The only time I have my posts deleted is when a topic like this comes up (where politics is a factor), so I'll stop there.

[tedster]

It's been an interesting curve in the US. At first there was pay by connection time. But "one monthly price for all you can surf" took over the market, and that's where we've been for a while now.

In this "pay fpr bandwidth" arena, where the FCC (according to the article) is not championing the public, it's still possible that consumer pressure can do the job.

The big organizations don't understand that the days of a passive marketplace are nearly over. It's kind of funny to me that they don't get it. After all, they are selling Internet access, and that's the major force for changing power relationships in the marketplace.

The first big ISP to roll out a "pay for bandwidth" system will open the door for smaller competitors to trump their deal and eat them for breakfast. Or so I hope.