Robert, the trend is very clear. Providers have begun introducing speed bumps. Witness the ATHM series of service problem related announcements and their policies on streaming video downloads, and how some large ISPs are imposing minimums now, where all-you-can-eat was the original enticement, as per both yours and the experiences of many GTE subs recently. See the pricing clip from their web site at the end of this message.
There will continue to be a shift in this space as "application creep" begins to take its toll on internal network resources. It ain't solely the bandwidth, rather it's the ports, and the administration of same. And in the case of cable modem, where possibly some of the greatest potential exists, some pretty short-sighted and ill-advised [shared- ] distribution network design.
The following is from gte.net . They, too, have recently changed their pricing plan for most of the "Plain Old Internet Service" [which sounds like the frontal piece of a dubious-sounding acronym] offerings.
Good Luck in your pursuit. Based on your account of what's happened, I would suggest that you have a chance for some relief. But probably at a price amounting to some form of future term commitment.
Many of us who've studied the economics of information delivery have always assumed that there would at one point be pricing tiers and increases in the offing. But what you've reported here amounts to the absurd on the part of the ISP, IMO.
Regards, Frank Coluccio
------- from: gte.net
$19.95/month** Internet Access
This package includes 100 Internet access hours*,
one e-mail account and access to all these benefits.
>Picturedelete<
Prices are usage based. Thresholds for hours used each month apply. Usage over the threshold will be billed at $1.00 per hour, prorated to the nearest minute. One hour of ISDN use on two B Channels will be billed as two hours of use. It is the responsibility of GTE members to monitor their hours online. Some restrictions and exclusions apply. All offers are subject to change.
**Prices include Internet access only. GTE is not responsible for any local, long distance, or 800 number charges incurred when accessing the Internet. In areas without local dial-up access, service is available for an additional charge. Up to 5Mb of storage space is provided for each e-mail account. All offers are subject to change. ©1998 GTE Service Corporation.
Note: Dial-up Access accounts are intended for users who periodically access the Internet for information, browsing and file transferring. Customers who wish to connect servers or remain connected to the Internet for extended periods of time can subscribe to any one of a wide variety of GTE's dedicated access connection services, or even better yet, GTE can host your Web pages and files at prices so competitive, you'll never want the aggravation of trying to manage your own web site and network connections again! For more details please see our revised Internet Access Agreement. For more information call us at 888-GTE-NET1. Service not available in all areas.
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If you want to see some real hoakie advertising, go to the site and click on residential service pricing. See how they graphically demonstrate their slashed markdowns with the left hand, while they are sticking it to you in the back with the right hand [or worse]. Insulting. |
