Public Knowledge Urges FCC to Investigate AT&T Caps

Nice, glad others are urging this.


Public Knowledge and the New America Foundation say they've sent the FCC a letter urging them to investigate AT&T's new usage caps. AT&T this week imposed a new 150 GB cap on DSL users and a 250 GB cap on U-Verse users, with those exceeding those caps paying AT&T $10 per every 50 GB thereafter. While many companies now impose caps to help differentiate residential and business class services, AT&T is the first major U.S. ISP to begin charging users per byte overages -- a practice that is very common in Canada, but extremely unpopular among consumers across North America.

"While broadband caps are not inherently problematic, they carry the omnipresent temptation to act in anticompetitive and monopolistic ways," notes the letter. "Unlike competitors whose caps appear to be at least nominally linked to congestions during peak-use periods, AT&T seeks to convert caps into a profit center by charging additional fees to customers who exceed the cap," the groups insist. "In addition to concerns raised by broadband caps generally, such a practice produces a perverse incentive for AT&T to avoid raising its cap even as its own capacity expands."
Noting that "ISPs use network congestion as a pretext to act on other motives," both groups have urged the FCC to collect "no less than quarterly" anonymized reports from ISPs highlighting how caps are set, how often they're enforced, and what the average penalty per user is.

We've cited time and time again how North American ISPs are so eager to impose this new pricing, they can't be bothered to ensure their meters work properly, and there's no regulatory oversight of these limits, leaving consumers with little recourse when these meters prove to be inaccurate. Carriers have consistently stated they'd love to bill bandwidth as if it were electricity (despite being a vastly different commodity from electricity), yet they've lobbied fiercely to ensure they're not regulated like utilities.

 

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Public Knowledge Urges FCC to Investigate AT&T Caps

Nice, glad others are urging this.

Public Knowledge and the New America Foundation say they've sent the FCC a letter urging them to investigate AT&T's new usage caps. AT&T this week imposed a new 150 GB cap on DSL users and a 250 GB cap on U-Verse users, with those exceeding those caps paying AT&T $10 per every 50 GB thereafter. While many companies now impose caps to help differentiate residential and business class services, AT&T is the first major U.S. ISP to begin charging users per byte overages -- a practice that is very common in Canada, but extremely unpopular among consumers across North America."While broadband caps are not inherently problematic, they carry the omnipresent temptation to act in anticompetitive and monopolistic ways," notes the letter. "Unlike competitors whose caps appear to be at least nominally linked to congestions during peak-use periods, AT&T seeks to convert caps into a profit center by charging additional fees to customers who exceed the cap," the groups insist. "In addition to concerns raised by broadband caps generally, such a practice produces a perverse incentive for AT&T to avoid raising its cap even as its own capacity expands."

Noting that "ISPs use network congestion as a pretext to act on other motives," both groups have urged the FCC to collect "no less than quarterly" anonymized reports from ISPs highlighting how caps are set, how often they're enforced, and what the average penalty per user is.We've cited time and time again how North American ISPs are so eager to impose this new pricing, they can't be bothered to ensure their meters work properly, and there's no regulatory oversight of these limits, leaving consumers with little recourse when these meters prove to be inaccurate. Carriers have consistently stated they'd love to bill bandwidth as if it were electricity (despite being a vastly different commodity from electricity), yet they've lobbied fiercely to ensure they're not regulated like utilities.

Hoosiers Enjoy a Historic Session for Pro-Gun Legislation in Indiana!


In one of the most successful pro-gun legislative sessions in the Hoosier State’s recent history, the Indiana General Assembly passed and sent several pro-firearm freedom bills to the governor. At this time Governor Mitch Daniels has already signed three NRA-supported bills into law, including the “Parking Lot 2.0” bill and the “Non-Contiguous State Firearm Purchase” bill. However, the “Transport Permit Reform” and “Firearm Preemption Reform” bills are still awaiting the Governor’s consideration.


Senate Bill 506, the “Transport Permit Reform” bill, would make important reforms to Indiana’s current “transport permit” requirement. It is currently illegal to transport a handgun in your vehicle without some form of state-issued permit for any reason unless driving from the point of purchase to your home or to your fixed place of business, or from your home or fixed place of business to a gunsmith for repair. The “Transport Permit Reform” bill passed in the Senate by a 43 to 7 vote and in House by an 84 to 13 vote. This bill will soon go to the governor for his signature and still needs your support.


Click links below to see how your state Representative and state Senator voted to reform Indiana’s “firearm transport permit.”

Indiana House of Representatives Roll Call vote for SB 506

Indiana Senate Roll Call vote for SB 506

As recently reported, the NRA’s top legislative priority, the “Firearm Preemption Reform” bill, passed in the General Assembly on the final day of the 2011 legislative session. Senate Bill 292, would mandate a strong and meaningful statewide standard for all firearm laws in Indiana. SB 292 will now be sent to Governor Daniels to be signed into law.

Click links below to see how your state Representative and state Senator voted to establish a strong, statewide mandate for Indiana firearm laws.


Indiana House of Representatives Roll Call vote for SB 292


Indiana Senate Roll Call vote for Senate Bill 292

Governor Daniels has signed three NRA-backed bills into law, but he needs to hear from NRA members across Indiana to encourage his signature on these remaining two pieces of legislation. When you call Governor Mitch Daniels, please thank him for signing the legislation below into law, and respectfully urge him to continue his strong support of the Second Amendment by signing into law SB 506 and SB 292! Contact information for the Governor can be found here.

 

On April 26, Governor Daniels signed into law Senate Enrolled Act 94, bringing an Indiana statute in line with federal law allowing for the purchase of long guns in non-contiguous states. SEA 94 was sponsored in the House by state Representative Matthew Lehman (R-79) and cosponsored by state Representative Sean Eberhart (R-57).


Authored in the Senate by state Senator Travis Holdman (R-43) and co-authored by state Senator Jim Tomes (R-49), the “Non-Contiguous State Firearm Purchase” bill will allow Hoosiers to purchase a long gun in any state, and allow a citizen of any other state to purchase a long gun in Indiana, so long as both states allow such purchases. SEA 94 brings Indiana law into line with current BATFE recognition of non-contiguous state long gun purchases, following changes in federal law with the 1986 Firearm Owners Protection Act.

 

Click links below to see how your state Representative and state Senator voted for the “Non-Contiguous State Firearm Purchase” bill.


Indiana House of Representatives Roll Call vote on SEA 94

Indiana Senate Roll Call vote on SEA 94

On April 20, Governor Mitch Daniels signed into law Senate Enrolled Act 154, allowing loaded firearms on off-road vehicles on private property, if the person carrying the firearm owns or has permission to be on the property.

 

Authored in the Senate by state Senator Brent Steele (R-44) and sponsored in the House by Representative Sean Eberhart (R-57), SEA 154 passed the Senate by a 45 to 1 vote, and in the House by a 83 to 6 vote.


Click links below to see how your state Representative and state Senator voted to allow loaded firearms on off-road vehicles on private property.


Indiana House of Representatives Roll Call vote on SEA 154

Indiana Senate Roll Call vote on SEA 154

Governor Daniels also signed Senate Enrolled Act 411, the “Parking Lot 2.0” bill, into law on April 15. Authored by NRA Board Member and state Senator Johnny Nugent (R-43) and co-authored by state Senator Jim Tomes (R-49). This legislation is the follow-up bill to last year’s Parking Lot law and sailed through both chambers without serious opposition or threatening amendments. The “Parking Lot 2.0” bill was sponsored in the House by state Representative Sean Eberhart (R-57).

 

Click links below to see how your state Representative and Senator voted to protect Hoosier employees from anti-gun workplace discrimination.

 

Indiana House of Representatives Roll Call vote for SEA 411

Indiana Senate Roll Call vote for SEA 411

NRA member’s communications to their state legislators can have a big impact on how theys vote on firearm-related legislation, both now and in the future. It is just as important to thank your legislators after they supported the Second Amendment as it is to ask for their vote. Please take a moment to send your Representative and Senator a note of thanks. Contact information for the Indiana General Assembly can be found here.

Once signed, each of the above laws will take effect on July 1.

Joyful Proletariat Welcome New AT&T Internet Enhancements

May 2, 2011 - As Reported by Official News Service of DPRK-AT&T

As reported by the glorious Peoples Commissariat of Internet Resources (known to the decadent bourgeoisie as the AT&T Marketing Department) workers and peasants through the Peoples Republic of AT&T expressed their unalloyed joy at the latest culmination of the the glorious Five Year Bandwidth Allocation Initiative, which grants all members of the Outer Party an amazing 150 GB of precious bandwidth every month. The People's Congress has also agreed to award Inner Party members up to 250 GB of bandwidth, as a reward for loyal service to the Motherland.

Bandwidth is a precious and limited resource of the State, and AT&T citizens are grateful and thankful that this precious resource is now limited. Prior to the new limits, wreckers and bourgeoisie infiltrators used more then their fair share of this resource.

Winston Smith, a proud Party member in our great Workers Paradise, was quoted as saying "Previously, I lived in fear that I was inadvertantly weakening our State by using too much bandwidth. I am so relieved that the I may now use only 250 GB of data. The strong, comforting hand of our Great Leader acts as a rudder upon the ship of my broadband connection!"

It is expected that any workers who are not satisfied with their bandwidth allocation will engage in public Self Criticism at the next Party committee meeting.