Do you remember when internet service was provided on a tiered payment system? AOL was famous for it, as were the larger dial-up internet service providers. Then, when the majority of internet users switched to cable and high-speed broadband services, the companies providing internet access switched to a tiered “speed” payment plan. Usage of the internet was unlimited, but how quickly you were able to download and load pages depended upon how much you paid for the service each month.
Now, it turns out, some of the major high-speed and cable internet access providers are considering going back to a tiered access payment plan. One company even is doing a trial run of the tiered payment plan, saying that it isn’t fair for “low” users to pay the same amount of money as “high” users.
Theoretically, this is true. People who only use the internet to send a few emails shouldn’t have to pay the same amount of money each month as a person who spends hundreds of hours each month playing online games. The problem is that the companies who are considering this plan are taking on the role of “we get to decide what you should be able to do on the internet.”
In the interest of seeming like “we just want to save people money”, the big companies considering the limitations are turning themselves into “we get to decide how people use the internet.” Those who love the internet’s freedom are going to be up in arms if this tiered pricing schedule becomes the norm.
Why do there have to be caps? Right now every company considering the tiered system has a “largest cap” in its plan, which, once it has been reached, could cost customers hundreds or even thousands of dollars each month in overage fees. Perhaps that’s what the companies are actually after?
