The Case Against Time Warner-Comcast Just Got Stronger

[Guest]

An executive at Level 3 Communications accuses ISPs of throttling traffic to get more money out of Netflix, other content providers.

The Case Against Time Warner-Comcast Just Got Stronger : Read more

 

[jasonelmore]

i'm glad Level 3 is calling them out. I live in a area thats been over congested for 5 years. My provider (Windstream Communications) even tells me they know they are over congested, however they are unwilling to upgrade their equipment. Its not just because of video, they are signing up 10X the customers they previously had per year.

Instead of taking that money from new customers and increasing capacity, they are pocketing it and throttling. All new accounts are being put on a 1 Mbps line, even if you sign up for 3 Mbps.

Things are going to get so bad, that customers will start taking things into their own hands and vandalize lines. When you back someone into a corner they do crazy things. This shit is how organizations fall. You cant bully the consumer forever, he will eventually bite you back.

 

[thechief73]

FINALLY!?! Someone had the *ehm* you know, to come out and say something. This is no secret. I just sure hope that this gets the ball rolling on some positive change. I have no clue how anyone at these companies can sleep at night knowing what they are doing. We have become so greedy that everyone says to hell with consequences.

Everyday goes by and I can watch my internet become slower, less responsive and just choke up. I have AT&T DSL, they over sold our area and now only offer 768k!!!! That's it. They have been saying that they will upgrade for almost two years now. Oh and prices have kept going up while performance and speeds have continued to to drop.

Gotta love ignorance, organized monopolies, and complete lack of oversight.

 

[thechief73]

Here is 2014, yet we are still stuck in 2001. GG, Merica'

 

[Geef]

Stuff like this makes me Very Glad the internet service I have isn't one of the big companies. At the beginning of last year my service was 5Mbit/1Mbit, then I got upgraded to 15/3 for same price. Now I'm up to 55/5. I do have to pay 5 bucks more for latest upgrade since I'm renting a modem from them until I buy a new one. The option is also out there to get a 100Mbit connection.

 

[coolitic]

*popcorn*

 

[skit75]

I'm stuck with Cox for internet. I am paying about $67.00/mnth and receiving ~70Mbps Down and ~12Mbps Up. I use DirecTV for television service(NFL Package) and am a Netflix subscriber.
The problem is these damn exclusivity contracts. They leave the end-user or consumer with very little, if any options. It is their way or the highway. One argument the cable execs used in the merger talks with FCC/DoJ (TWC/Comcast) was that "they do not directly compete with each other due to the regional segregation, so how could it be a monopoly if we merged?" to which I about flipped my wig. These guys needs tractor trailers to carry their jocks. I wish our telecom/ISP/mobile system was more like the UK, in every way. When will this bubble pop?

 

[soccerplayer88]

I'm stuck with Cox for internet. I am paying about $67.00/mnth and receiving ~70Mbps Down and ~12Mbps Up.

Hot damn I'm moving to where you live. Here in Iowa through Mediacom, I'm paying $80/month for 30/3. And by no means do I live out in the "middle of nowhere".

 

[jasonelmore]

i dont even think you guys with these 10+ megabit packages even have a right to post on this article. It just makes us DSL guys who are getting throttled down the less that Mbps, get sick and want to puke

 

[TechnoD]

You guys don't know the half of it. I've got Charter communications. They suck. a lot. Supposed to be getting 30Mbit down / 3 Mbit up, but that never happens. speedtest.net, speeds spike at 20 and usually hover around 10.

 

[mavikt]

Wow, I just read the better part of http/www.ilsr.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/muni-bb-speed-light.pdf. Very enlightening on how the free market corrupts the system!
I'm so sorry for you guys, you are getting ripped off.
I'm paying approx $35/month for 100/100.
Love Sweden!

 

[smeghead4269]

I'm so sorry for you guys, you are getting ripped off.
I'm paying approx $35/month for 100/100.
Love Sweden!

Oh sure, rub it in.

 

[hoofhearted]

I wish something would be done about the US cell providers. Those are the real evil.

 

[DRosencraft]

Here I am, in one of the largest metropolitan areas in the state of Florida (by population) and all you get with Century Link is 10 Mbps. If you even try to go to Comcast's website your internet connection "mysteriously" dies for several minutes. The only reason we're with them is because Comcast was more expensive for not much more speed, and would cut out for absolutely no real reason for entire days.

I still believe that a major problem does still rest with services like Netflix for not making a big stink about what is going on. They could leverage public pressure if they want, but at the end of the day if they can pay their way to a prime data channel that advantages them over the competition on whichever ISP, it's better for them than wallowing with everyone else in the mire.

 

[rpmrush]

I'm stuck with Time Warner. It used to be 10Mbit..It's up to 20Mbit. I used to pay 34.95..I now pay 65. They raise prices every 6 months. I call and lower it..they raise it..It's infuriating. Down in Salisbury, NC..just South of me..They built their own municipal fiber network. 50/50 for $40. Time Warner lobbied the state and made it illegal for any other city to do that...MMMMmmmm

 

[dro2]

' I am paying about $67.00/mnth and receiving ~70Mbps Down and ~12Mbps Up."...and you're complaining?

 

[Mathos]

Hell, I love only about 5 miles from the closes town. By a lake with a fairly decent population in my given area. Several small communities around it. And the only option available... local telephone co-op adsl... And it tops out at a mighty 10mbps for $100/month. Bout the only thing useful is no cap, unless they arbitrarily decide you're using too much... Most of the providers around here use the excuse that they can't run cable in these area's because it'd cost too much to compete with Verizon or Satellite... Both of which are capped, and not suitable for anything other than checking email. Add on to that, Texas... So.

 

[lancelot123]

Happy with my 40 down / 5 up DSL with CenturyLink in Minneapolis/St Paul area so far. Do I wish it was faster? Hell yes. I hear they are rolling out a 100 down connection, which means it will be 2 years till I can get it I'm sure.

Better than Comcrap.

 

[Horhe]

The Internet speeds in US are certainly lousy for the price, in Romania you can get Gigabit speed for $19/month. However, you have cheaper everything else, from gas to electronics, so that makes up for some of Internet expense.

 

[kpholmes9]

The writer says obama does not have the political support, although he has "pledged" support, what utter nonsense. Any politician can pledge something, few will actually do something.

Who does obama not have support from? it must be those darn free-market capitalist conservatives! I mean obama was just trying to help when he nationalized the healthcare system.

come on writter,
tell the facts like it is, WASHINGTON DOES NOT CARE ABOUT YOU OR YOUR RIGHTS.