BendBroadband’s plan to offer faster connections but charge heavy users extra inspired the technology site Gizmodo to post an article headlined: “The Future of Broadband: We’re Totally Screwed.”
In the short run, “we” will consist mainly of Web developers and other heavy users like Jake of UtterlyBoring.com who upload and download massive amounts of data. But in the not-too-long run, the screwees are likely to include a lot more of us.
Under BendBroadband’s four-tiered scheme the most basic plan will let you send and receive up to 10 gigabytes per month free, with a surcharge of $1.50 per gig after that. The 10 GB quota is enough, according to BendBroadband, for all but about 8% of its users.
For now. But according to tech-savvy people of The EYE’s acquaintance, before too long most of us will be getting movies to watch at home via the Internet rather than going out and renting a CD from Blockbuster or Hollywood Video. And if you download movies you can run through your 10-gig monthly allotment pretty damn fast.
What motives could BendBroadband have? Well, in the short term they’ll make a little more money from heavy users. In the longer term they could make a lot more money from ordinary users. And the surcharge could discourage people from downloading movies and other entertainment from the Net in favor of getting pay-per-view offerings over cable – thereby generating more revenue for BendBroadband’s cable TV operations
This article appears in Apr 17-23, 2008.
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Agreed. I think this is a huge step backwards. I’m a gamer. A majority of which is done online. I download trailers, games, demos, movies, tv episodes…all on my Xbox and PS3. That doesn’t even count what I do on the internet. I manage two websites and have enormous amounts of storage online which now I will have to limit my access to. If BBB does change their clouded minds, I will be switching to Qwest DSL.
This is just another beginning of the end of another local business that can not keep up with the intense consolidation that is occurring on-line. Even a company as large, or maybe because it is so large, ultimately will run out of ability to keep up with the unlimited efficiencies of web based industries. As Lorderk noted – he’ll be switching to Qwest DSL, as will most everyone, and that will begin BendBroadband’s slow decline. If you liked Feudalism, you’re going to love the Information Age.
Agreed. I’m not at all excited about transitioning to Qwest DSL, but I don’t really have any options. I had sung BendBroadband’s praises to my friends out of the area…now they’re just laughing at me.
I’m not a cable customer, so as their broadband goes, so go I. Perhaps next they’ll start charging you per hour of cable TV you watch. Stupid, yes, but not any more stupid than what they’re doing now.
They are in a business which has seen costs steadily declining, and they brag about not increasing their rates. Oh well, they were good for awhile…
Right on Bendbroadband! If you make the pip bigger to handle more information then the cost will be spread to all users. I for one, do not like the idea of paying for someone who wants to download music, movies, etc, all day long. For the people who want more, then they need to pay more. So letâ ™s not make this a socialistic thing. Where does one draw the line on paying for others?