Time Warner planning all-you-can-download broadband for $150 a month
Time Warner has apologized for not keeping customers informed about its plans to charge broadband customers based on the amount of data they used. It says it will effectively offer an unlimited service for $150 a month.
The statement from the firm’s chief operating officer Landel Hobbs apologizes for any confusion but maintains it would be unfair to raise costs across the board and penalize lighter users.
The firm plans to offer packages with monthly download limits of 1, 10, 20, 40, 60 and 100GB, with speeds ranging from 768KB to 10GB. Customers who exceed their limits will pay $1 per GB in ‘overage charges’. However, this will be capped at $75, so the highest possible fee would be $150 no matter how much is downloaded.
The statement doesn’t make any mention of traffic management policies. Those are used by some firms, notably Virgin in the United Kingdom, and involve slowing the speeds of customers who download more than a certain amount of data during peak hours. That’s caused rows with consumer groups and advertisers who argue this doesn’t leave a truly “unlimited” service.
On the face of it, $150 looks extremely high for a monthly broadband subscription. The key is whether it is truly unlimited or if it follows the types of restrictions which come with rival services. To come anywhere close to justifying the price, it would have to be free of any restrictions whatsoever and genuine allow you to download any type of data at the maximum speed, all day and every day. It’s notable that Hobbs’ statement uses the phrase “virtually unlimited usage.”
Time Warner will trial the limits and penalty charge system in Rochester, NY and Greensboro, NC in August, then San Antonio and Austin in October. Users will get details of their download figures for the previous two months when the trial starts, and the first month of the trial will also be for information only, giving customers the chance to switch to the most appropriate plan before the penalty charges kick in during the following month.
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April 11th, 2009
I guess they want to lose customers.
April 12th, 2009
Time Warner`s Broadband Cap Plans Draw Lawmaker’s Ire
http://www.eweek.com/c/a/IT-Infrastructure/Time-Warners-Broadband-Cap-Plans-Draw-Lawmakers-Ire-202147/?kc=rss
“Time Warner’s broadband cap plan may result in federal legislation aimed at unfair tiered price structures from Internet providers. Angered over Time Warner’s pricing plans, U.S. Rep. Eric Massa of New York says that’s exactly what he has in mind, promising a bill to curb tiers, particularly in areas where a broadband provider owns a monopoly on service.
Time Warner’s broadband cap plan may result in federal legislation aimed at unfair tiered price structures from Internet providers. Angered over Time Warner’s pricing plans, U.S. Rep. Eric Massa of New York says that’s exactly what he has in mind, promising a bill to curb tiers, particularly in areas where a broadband provider owns a monopoly on service.
If Time Warner thought that its hastily revised broadband cap plan to include an unlimited usage tier would appease U.S. Rep. Eric Massa, the cable broadband provider was wrong. Massa, who represents a New York district where Time Warner is planning to roll out its cap plan, said April 10 he is drafting legislation to prohibit unfair tiered price structures from Internet providers.”
January 16th, 2011
Hi there, just doing some browsing for my Greensboro 4g website. Can’t believe the amount of information out there. Wasn’t what I was looking for, but very nice site. Cya later.