[mythtv-users] Per-usage internet billing. WAS: Vote for Miro Integration into MythTV

Bill Williamson bill at bbqninja.com
Mon Jan 21 02:08:57 UTC 2008


On 1/21/08, Chris Pinkham <cpinkham at bc2va.org> wrote:
> > Per-usage internet is probably too expensive at present - otherwise I
> > might consider switching myself - but if a competitive market follows
> > this course then prices should become reasonable. And there's really
> > no reason why a little old lady - who only uses the internet for her
> > email - should subsidise the high bandwidth consumption of someone
> > downloading gigs per day.
>
> This is why your internet provider is selling a service.  You're
> paying for a service, not a quantity of something.  If grandma only
> needs to check her email then she can get by with a 256/512/768/etc.
> Kilobit DSL service instead of the FIOS 30 Megabit service.  So, she
> can pay less than the gamer across the street with his shiney new
> FIOS service.


1. Your water service isn't supplied as as "pressure" service, it's a
consumption service.

2. It costs the provider no more to do 1.5mbit ADSL vs 256kbit ADSL.
It costs them more for a person constantly pegging a 256kbit line than
someone downloading emails on a 1.5mbit line (or 30mbit line)


The provider should give you the best speed possible, and then simply
charge you based on your usage.  Better yet is to simply charge as a
90th percentile data speed much as a data center works.


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