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Speakeasy Introduces Broadband WiFi Sharing Plan
An anonymous reader writes "Today, speakeasy (the greatest ISP ever) sent out a letter from the CEO introducing their NetShare Wi-Fi plan. It lets you share your broadband with your neighbors, with Speakeasy handling the billing and splitting the fee 50/50. More ISPs should be like this!"
Thats pretty cool. But what if someone breaks the Terms of Service. Would they cut the connection altogether?
I doubt any technology like this will get to ISPs in Iowa any time soon. :(
Sounds like Speakeasy's real benefit comes from the fact that the customers will be directing their questions to their local connection rather than calling up Speakeasy's support line. That benefit alone probably outweighs any losses they are going to incur.
What happens if you get busted for sharing music? Are you now legally responsible for your neighbors actions or are you free and clear because no one knows (not even you) who did the alleged file sharing. Logs? we dont need no stinking logs.
If your neighbors are sharing a connection with you it should be obvious to them whether you are paying your share of the bill each month. I'd say it could create more of a sense of accountability in regard to keeping the neighbors happy and the connection up. After all, nobody wants to be the guy who got everybody's connection turned off because he forgot to pay the bill for 60 days.
I have been wondering that for a while...
I live in a group house, and there's 9 of us with wireless ethernet running throughout the entire place. If RIAA sues because they suspect one of us is downloading something illegal, how do they decide who gets the blame, if all 9 of us are dhcp'd behind NAT, with only one publically addressable IP? You can't fathomably put it all on the one sap who registered for the DSL connection can you?
Costs that Speakeasy has to deal with are inflated over the bare cost of service and hardware.
As more ISPs do this, they put the admin tasks in the hands of capable users (hopefully better than the MCSE's they got conned into hiring). That simplies things a bit. That means that they no longer have to guarantee the speed of broadband. It allows the market to loosen up from the usually stagnant progress it's had. when you have two variables (performance and price) rather than this rigid 56k no more no less, DSL speed no more no less, customers can be satisfied and fewere are left out of the picture.
Don't we want to close the digital divide?
As Speakeasy (whoever it is up the chain) no longer has to buy as much hardware, the hardware sellers have to drop their prices, which is good for Speakeasy.
The message on the other side of this sig is false.
From their FAQ:
What I get from this is that they don't mind your sharing your connection, but that if you want to charge the neighbors than they're requiring you to use this new system to do it.
It also sounds like they'll provide your neighbors with email accounts and stuff if they sign up.
It all seems pretty reasonable to me....
Speaking for myself, if I were using my neighbor's connection a lot, I'd certainly be more than happy to chip in for it.
--Bruce Fields
I see no problem with charging the guy. As long as he can call on you to fix it if it goes down. Something a freebie can't do.
A LOT of companies (mostly software) do NOT sell their software directly. They use resellers. This creates not only great relationships, but also adds a free sales force. I think SpeakEasy is applying that model here.
>Or just being a dick?
Call it what you like but the willingness of people to use stupidity taxes (example: Being a car mechanic) is what has made most countries as good as they are today.
You need _some_ reason to get off your ass and learn how to do something. Money is just a good motivator. And the lazy ones that don't? It's just darwinism in action.
If you could be told what you can see or read, then it follows that you could be told what to say or think - BoC