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Breakdown of Bandwidth Costs?

Posted by Cliff on from the who-pays-whom dept.

WCityMike asks: "What is the origin of the cost of bandwidth? For instance, if I'm being charged for an apple, I know that, theoretically, the cost of that apple is going towards the purchase of apple seeds, the land on which the apple trees are grown, the fertilizer and water that helps the trees grow, and the salaries of those who pick the apples, clean them, box them, and send them to market. When an Internet provider charges someone hundreds of dollars in bandwidth costs because they were Slashdotted (or Farked) and their bandwidth use shot up, what costs have the Internet provider incurred, and why does it cost them what it does? Is there usually any sort of markup going on along the line, or are people just passing along their own expenses down the line to the end user?" It would be interesting to note the most important factor contributing to bandwidth costs. How much of the total costs are tied to infrastructure versus the human component (technicians, sysadmins, technical support and so forth)?

7 of 246 comments (clear)

  1. I don't see it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    I don't get what you're trying to ask here?

  2. Should be.... by AnyLoveIsGoodLove · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Do you see my engineers =

    Do you see why engineers don't run the show....

    Sorry about that. Should have hit preview...

    SPP

    --
    "It's technical in a psychometric kind a way" -- C. Parish
  3. Tragic news ... Stephen King troll dead at 32 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    I just heard some news over Police radio - a Slashdot visitor was found dead in his Chicago home this morning.
    The young man of 32 was found bloodied and bruised by an apparent assault with a number of Stephen King hardback novels.
    He was rushed to hospital but the injuries were too severe to be treated sufficiently. Police have begun to compile a list of
    suspects. It is thought that Stephen King himself may have been responsible for the assault.

    I'm sure everyone in the Slashdot community will miss him - even if you didn't enjoy his work,
    there's no denying his contributions to popular culture. Truly an American icon.

  4. "Farked" by Plutor · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    This is the first use of the term "Farked" in a Slashdot post. This term refers to an analogue of "Slashdotting" caused by the web site Fark.com.

  5. Apples by Cyno01 · · Score: 1, Offtopic
    ...if I'm being charged for an apple, I know that, theoretically, the cost of that apple is going towards the purchase of apple seeds, the land on which the apple trees are grown, the fertilizer and water that helps the trees grow, and the salaries of those who pick the apples, clean them, box them, and send them to market.
    Did anyone else start reading that and think he was talking about apple computers? Man, i need to get out more.
    --
    "Sic Semper Tyrannosaurus Rex."
  6. The force is like duct tape.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    ...it has a light side, and a dark side, and it binds the universe together.

  7. Speaking of Bandwith... by terraformer · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    ...Gates Brothers Rocketry is back up finally.

    --
    Who are you? The new #2 Who is #1? You are #617565. I am not a number, I am a free man! Muhahaha.