Dating

Well my friend said on his radio show yesterday 4$ gas within a week, it was 3.60 yesterday, 3.99 today. He also says 5$ by June and 6$ by the end of the summer based on what the 'experts' are saying... if this is the case, I'm afraid I will have to hope I can find someone to date and marry that already lives on my street, that works within a half mile of my work so we can drive to work together. *nods* haha

Math showing AT&T is nuts with their cap!

Assumptions:
24 Mbps / 8 bits  = 3 MB/s (this is the tier I am on, and I can get around 2.8MB/s download, so this is close enough).

 

Caps:
150 GB * 1024 KB = 153,600 MB (DSL)
250 GB * 1024 KB = 256,000 MB (U-verse)


Formula: (using U-verse 24 Mbps)
250 GB * 1024 KB * 8 bits / 24 Mbps / 60 sec / 60 min = 23.7 hours (1 day) to hit cap.


I got the tiers from: http://www.att.net/speedtiers


Results: (time to reach cap at full throttle)
455.1 hours (19 days) for DSL 768 Kbps
227.5 hours (10 days) for DSL 1.5 Mbps
113.7 hours (5 days) for DSL 3 Mbps
56.9 hours (2 days) for DSL 6 Mbps
189.6 hours (8 days) for U-verse 3 Mbps
94.8 hours (4 days) for U-verse 6 Mbps
47.4 hours (2 days) for U-verse 12 Mbps
31.6 hours (1 day) for U-verse 18 Mbps
23.7 hours (< 1 day) for U-verse 24 Mbps


Now, if all of the above were paying the same, I might see this as fair, but considering that the faster speeds pay more, but do not get more cap, this is absolutely NOT fair.  For some more math fun, how much could you download in 30 days on the 24Mbps plan?


Answer: 7,593.75 GB.  Overage fee @ $10 per 50GB would be: $1,470.



Letter to my senators about AT&T

I’m a writing concerning a recent decision AT&T has made to place a cap on internet bandwidth usage for the subscribers of their internet service.  They claim it is needed to combat congestion on their network.  As an avid computer enthusiast and based on the various articles I have read, I have a hard time buying that and feel there is something fundamentally wrong with what they are doing.  Please let me explain.

 

Starting May 2, AT&T will be implementing a 250 GB per month cap on the bandwidth of my internet service, anything over that and I will be charged an additional $10 per 50GB.  They claim that it will only affect 2% of their users and is needed due to people abusing their unlimited internet (I’m at a loss to understand how anyone can abuse “unlimited” anything, but that is a different discussion).

 

AT&T offers a package called U-verse, it consists of TV, Phone and Internet Service.  All three of these services are internet based, unlike traditional cable.  AT&T uses IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) for their TV service, VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) for their phone service and IP (internet Protocol) for their internet service.  So all three of the services I pay for use internet bandwidth to function.  Now with all three services being internet based and consuming bandwidth on their network, the only service they will be limiting is the Internet service.  This may sound reasonable, but let me put it another way.  The only service they are limiting is the service that provides us access to their competitor’s services.  Such as Netflix, Hulu, You Tube, on-line back-up services etc.  The bandwidth used to access AT&T services (TV/Phone) is still unlimited

 

                There are many articles on-line from various reliable sources debunking their claims of the need to limit.  It is generally accepted that wholesale bandwidth costs 2 -7 cents per GB.  With this cap I will be paying 22 cents per GB (300% markup).   I feel there is a distinct possibility their claims of network work congestion are either false, exaggerated or intentionally created (by failing to reinvest in system upgrades needed to keep pace with demand/Technology) in order to justify the caps, thus limiting our access to competing services.   All one has to do it look at Japan and Korea, who has far superior internet services for a much lower price.  I feel this is largely due them having solid competition in that sector.  Their companies reinvest capital to keep their systems in-line with demands and technology.  They don’t allow their systems to fall behind then claim it’s their customers fault and impose caps.

 

In today’s day and age, the internet is as vital to individuals and business as the roads and highways across our country.  Americans use it to go to school, shop, communicate etc and thousands of businesses rely upon the internet for consumers to access their services.  To have AT&T discriminate between different bandwidth uses seems profoundly unfair and is detrimental to the web-based commerce across the country and around the world.  Customer complaints are falling on deaf ears, because the government has allowed duopolies to take over the internet service provider sector.  Most cities only have access to the internet through their local Cable or Telephone Company, thus there is no need to accommodate the customer.  The best example of this is seen in COMCAST’s policy.  They have become so arrogant they don’t just charge you extra if you exceed their limit, they suspend your entire internet service for a year.  They act like purchasing their product is privilege and you have abused that privilege and will be punished.  That’s how far out of kilter this has gotten.

 

The primary concern I have is ISPs can make unsubstantiated claims of network congestion or even worse create an artificial shortage of bandwidth by deliberately withholding system upgrades, in order to justify implementing bandwidth caps.  Whether it is intentional or not the end result is limiting our access to their competitor’s on-line services.  This is no different that the Telephone company limiting your “unlimited” local calling to keep you from using a competitor’s long distance service.  But if you use the Telephone Company’s long distance service there is no limitation or additional charge. 

 

                I encourage you to work towards keeping access to the internet as unlimited as our access to the nation’s highways.  American’s and businesses need this to survive and prosper.  Please promote competition in the ISP sector and help break up the duopolies which threaten and control our access to this vital resource.  I am a believer in the free market system, but the government’s actions have limited competition and short circuited the protections a free-mark provides.  As of now there is very limited over-sight of ISPs and their power to limit our freedoms…the freedom to choose who we purchase our on-line services from.  Please provide me your position on this issue and let me know if there is any legislation you’re aware of to help correct this. Thank you for your time and I patiently await your response.



A Message From Congressman André Carson

First reply in from my letters regarding AT&T this one is from my Congressman

 

Dear Mr. Mercer:
 
Thank you for contacting me to voice your concern about network neutrality. The opinions and concerns of my fellow Hoosiers are essential to the decision making process as a Member of Congress.
 
As you may well know, network neutrality stands for the notion that consumers and businesses pay the same broadband/dial-up rates irrespective of content or type of internet service provided. Under current laws, however, it would not be illegal for internet providers to violate network neutrality. Given the important role that the Internet plays in so many facets of American life, I am a strong proponent of making net neutrality the law of the land. Rest assured, I will strongly consider voting for legislative initiatives mandating net neutrality should they come to the floor of the House for a vote.
 
I appreciate hearing your thoughts on this important issue and I hope you will continue to contact my office on future issues. I encourage you to visit my website at http://carson.house.gov where you can view the latest news and updates about pertinent issues and legislation important to you, or follow me on Twitter @RepAndreCarson. You may also sign up for my weekly e-newsletter The Carson Courier to receive periodic updates on my activities in Indianapolis and in Washington, D.C. As always, my staff and I are here to serve you. Please feel free to contact me if we ever can be of further assistance to you.
 
Sincerely,
 
André Carson
Member of Congress
 
AC/mk


My letter to Randall Stephenson, AT&T CEO

I have now sent my thoughts as well as a copy of this letter to my congressman, the white house, and the following individuals at Coast to Coast in the hopes that the first 2 get legislation going, and that the Coast to Coast lot mobilizes the C2C audience.

 

George Noory, Ian Punnett, George Knapp, Lisa Lyon, Tom Danheiser, Lex Lonehood, and Shawn LaDouceur

This letter was originally sent to:

Randall Stephenson, AT&T CEO
rs2982@att.com (direct)
randall.stephenson@att.com
phone: 210-351-5401 (direct to his secretary)
fax 210-351-3553
alternate phone: 210-821-4105 (headquarters, press 3, ask for Mr. Stephenson's office)
175 E. Houston
San Antonio, TX 78205 

 

Dear Mr. Stephenson and AT&T, yesterday I was shocked to learn (from a co-worker, not a mailing to our house) that a 250GB bandwidth cap would be coming May 2nd. This must be a joke, I simply couldn't believe it until I discovered article after article over the past month announcing and commenting on this. I then found several threads on the official AT&T forums from customers that were outraged like myself, one of which is at 89 pages of replies at the time of writing this letter. Your company has said time and time again this will only effect 2% of your customers.

I sir, am one of the 2%.

At 1.5mbps, it would take 16 Days 2 Hours 20 Minutes to downoad 250GB...

At 10mbps, it would take 2 Days 11 Hours 39 Minutes to download 250GB...

At 24mbps, one of their services, it wouldn't take a day to use your cap.

I am a 24mbps man. I'm very sad as I use half of that just in video/podcasts a week as I listen to 16-20 hours of audio a day at work (double speed), I have several TB of data backed up online, uploading just 1 hour of 960p video off-site backup or to youtube from my GoPro would take me past my cap. 1 hour: 265.42 GB... not to mention uploading all the stuff I shoot with my SLR.

AT&T shouldn't sell me a 24mbit connection, if they don't want me to use it... maxed out 24/7 I can transfer 7.88TB of data with my connection. They want me to use 3% of my connection's potential or pay penalties for going over. (actually about 2.8-2.9% once you factor in I could be maxing out my upload too) Since AT&T only wants me to use 3% of my connection's potential, shouldn't it be fair that I only pay a couple of bucks a month, the 3% of my connection's cost? I hope AT&T is going to come to my house and backup all of photos and videos I shoot every week now and keep them in the cloud for me, since I can't back them up to backblaze starting next month when I lose my bandwidth. It's not uncommon for me to use 1.5-2TB a month. The podcasts I listen to will eat up 1/3 of the cap alone, I'll have to stop watching stuff on iTunes university as that'll take me to my cap, plus there are 3 other people in this house, each with their own computers. God forbid my iOS devices need updates too, since Apple makes you download the whole iOS and not just the updated portions... there goes a few GB of my 250 every iOS update.

I exceed the cap in 4-5 days JUST backing up photos and videos to backblaze... as well as to upload said photos and videos to sites like facebook, youtube, and my photography blog... not to mention my podcasts I listen to will eat up just over 1/3 of the cap every month... then of course I watch a considerable amount of stuff on iTunes university, and subscribe to several 720p feeds on youtube. I also upload my own video in 960p to youtube, which then gets down converted to 720p... if I were to upload 1 hour of my own video to youtube a month, I'd use 253gb and change.

 There are also 2 other people that use internet in my house for recreation, education, and business. Google is in the processing of deploying their first gigabit network for consumers and I highly doubt they'll place any restriction on the bandwidth.

If Ma Bell, my apologies I meant AT&T, wants to restrict the usage of my internet because they oversold what their pipe can handle then do so via throttling but please do not limit us to 250GB. I understand the real reasons behind this, you are losing money to Netflix, Amazon's streaming services, YouTube, movie piracy, people watching television shows on the network websites etc. I also understand that when I, one of the 2% of your customers that actually understand what the internet is and the incredible utility it can be for enriching my life and others as well as a source of entertainment, is being forced to limit my activity to 4-6 days of internet usage a month under your new restrictions... that this country suffers, that the human race suffers. You are instituting a regime of oppression by limiting the bandwidth, you are stifling creativity, you are enslaving the minds of the masses by placing limits. Upgrade your infrastructure. You have a fiberoptic line running through my backyard that I'm not allowed to access as it's only for the corporations you service to use. We switched to your service from Comcast when they placed a restriction on the consumer's bandwidth, now you are doing the same.

Please, wake up and understand the horrible thing your company is doing. America used to be a land where we were better than every other nation. As far as internet is concerned we are nearly a lot of backwards hillbillies when several countries offer gigabit connections with unrestricted bandwidth for a price comparable to what you offer what is now an inadequate connection to even stream video with. I ask AT&T to join us in the 21st century and stop this bandwidth cap before it happens in less than a month. I do not want to pay 300$ in surcharges every month becuase I went that much over a service, that is currently unlimited and has been for years. I won't lie, I have no life outside of the internet and thanks to the internet I literally have the world at my fingertips, I can learn anything I want, see anything I want, speak to any human being anywhere on the planet.

Please, end this nonsense now. While i live in a duopoly market and have no choice to go to anyone with unrestricted internet, I plead that keep the internet unrestricted for me. Thank you for your time.

 

 

-Ryan Carl .Mercer