Bandwidth Hogs Beware: Cable Broadband Provider to Test 'Usage-Based System'
Categories: Science and Tech
We're comin' to get ya, Mountain Dew-breath!
Life may have taken a bitter turn for anyone in Beaumont, Texas lassoing huge chunks of bandwidth to download "Star Trek: Voyager" fan fiction or God knows what else.
Time Warner Cable is testing a "usage-based system" — with overage charges, cell phone-style — in the Texas town in order to crack the whip on the "5% of subscribers who utilize over half the total network bandwidth."
From a memo leaked to BroadbandReports.com:
Following the trial, a determination will be made as to whether or not existing subscribers should be charged. Only residential subscribers will be impacted. Trial in Beaumont, TX will begin by Q1. We will be testing technical backend as well as Marketing and Messaging to customers. We will use the results of the trial to evaluate results for possible future nationwide rollouts.
Read the whole thing here. Remember, today, Beaumont, tomorrow — Texarkana!
— Joe Eskenazi
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