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

[Chris Pinkham]

* On Sun Jan 20, 2008 at 01:05:36PM +0000, Stroller wrote:
> But we don't complain about water companies charging us per-litre, or  
> the electricity company charging us per kilowatt-hour, so what's the  
> problem with paying per-megabyte?

One big difference is that the water company can't shove water down my
throat, but there are millions of other machines out there on the net
that can start sending data to my IP.  I wouldn't want to have to pay
extra for that.

> 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.

--
Chris