Filed under: Hmmm
I keep seeing the commercials for the different internet choices, cable, DSL, SDSL providers, even things like Dish. Still think I like cable. The reason is, at least here anyway, the others may have cheaper prices or better rates but from what I’ve seen you only get those by taking a cut in download speed. I have not done an in depth look but every time I see the commercials for the different services I have yet to see one that would match what I am currently getting. They look like great deals and would save me money but they would also drastically drop my available bandwidth. That would not be good.
Even though the different terms can be confusing for internet speed, things like kilostream, megabytes or bits, fiber and phone line you get used to a certain speed and it hurts when you drop down. That’s why a lot of people like their work connection, it is faster than home. I think I have been pretty lucky in that recently, home is faster than work, although if you are working at home does it still work out that way? I really don’t use a whole lot of bandwidth, other than for work so I guess I probably wouldn’t know it if my isp cut my bandwidth by a bit. If they did a lot I would certainly notice. I don’t play online games or download big files a lot so I probably wouldn’t notice. Might be nice if they did though, wouldn’t that be breach of contract since I am paying for a specific speed? I know there are sites and places you can go to test your speed and see what you actually have but I really haven’t found the need to do that. Hopefully I never do, although curiosity might get the best of me here sooner or later and get me to check into it. Has anybody else checked their internet speed?
Tags: bandwidth, download, Internet, speed
Filed under: Hmmm
It seems like the idea for internet metering has been around for a while, but is now being re-considered. I really don’t think I like that idea, though it does make sense. The basic idea is that you get charged on how much bandwidth you use, how many bytes you take when you sit online. However, if you use Utube a lot or watch HULU then it could cause you some issues. The way many of the companies are trying to move most media online, like the movies, could also come to a screeching halt. The ISP’s or internet service providers are saying that this is a better option because they don’t have the money to change to a fiber network where the bandwidth usage wouldn’t make a big difference.
Your internet enjoyment depends on your speed, if you have dial up it probably wouldn’t matter to you much. Really the only problem I would have with it depends on how greedy they got. If they just used some common sense and say, dropped the starting rate then increased depending on usage from there, it would be fine. Since we all pay the same amount and they want to switch to usage then the base amount should be a lot lower then what it is now. A lot lower.
I am still not sure about it though. To be honest I would really rather they go to fiber or find something else, maybe just make a mandatory cut off line that if you are going over then you have to move up to the next category of service. That is probably the same thing, but it really is in the public’s perception. What would be really good is for one company, one ISP, to try it and when they do for all of us to switch to somebody else. I think they would get the idea fairly quickly. I am just not sure about the idea. I can see good and bad.
Tags: downloads, greed, Internet, metering, speed, uploads
