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What Kind of Alternate Business Models Could ISPs Use?

Posted by Zonk on from the nothing-wrong-with-the-ppu-strategy dept.

esocid writes "After reading multiple stories over the past few months about the practices of ISPs within and outside of the US I have started to actually contemplate the benefits of the pay-per-use broadband service. Monopolistic practices have strangled broadband to the throttled money-draining cesspool that it is today. Would a pay-per-use option, or some other strategy, be better than the flat fee offered by companies today? When you think about it you are paying for an XMbps connection, when in actuality you get an 65-85%XMbps connection that you may or may not use all of the time. In addition to that, speaking as a Comcast customer, you get a throttled connection that limits your usage of certain protocols. Essentially you pay about $60-70 for a connection that you only squeeze maybe $35-45 worth of usage out of it. If a pay-per-usage option were implemented, how do you think the best way to charge for it would be? Is there some other scheme that would deliver customers the kind of QOS and value they seek?"

7 of 360 comments (clear)

  1. who cares about business models? by jollyreaper · · Score: 5, Funny

    I want to know where the April Fools articles are. So far, everything is boringly normal. Give me some funny shit! Microsoft debugs Vista, "Best Windows yet!" crows Richard Stallman. Bush finds exit strategy for Iraq. Catholic priest shoves fingers up own ass for a change.

    Where's the A material? Even Poniez is looking good at this point.

    --
    Kwisatz Haderach
    Sell the spice to CHOAM
    This Mahdi took Shaddam's Throne
    1. Re:who cares about business models? by hey! · · Score: 4, Funny
      OK, how about this for an idea:

      Hooters founder Robert Brooks has started a new business: providing Internet services.

      Jack-In Broadband [sm] will provide broadband installation and support services, with a twist. All installations will be performed by female technicians wearing brightly colored plastic miniskirts and crop-tops. On-line tech support will also be provided by "Jack-In Girls", via real time two way video link.

      Women's rights groups are criticizing the planned service. "This is demeaning to women in technology," said Maria
      Testicolo-Lattine, the Florida director for the National Organization for Women. "Not only are they being valued for their bodies over their skills, they are being paid only minimum wage."

      A corporate spokesman for the company confirmed that the technicians would only be paid minimum wage, and would have to buy their own uniforms, tools and vehicle, however he denied that they were being exploited. "These girls will make plenty of dough, through gratuities and, uh, little side services they provide our customers." The spokesman asked that his name be withheld. [Ed. -- editorial policy does not allow for corporate PR officers to be quoted anonymously. The spokesman quoted was Anthony Testicolo, from the company's Miami office.]

      The service is slated to begin in the Clearwater, Florida market, expanding to eight metropolitan areas in the southern US over the next two years. There are no plans to market the installation service in the north, due to the impracticality of the technicians' uniforms in that climate, although negotiations are under way to offer the on-line support services through cooperative agreements with several national ISPs.

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      Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
  2. Where the hell are the April Fool's Stories? by cayenne8 · · Score: 1, Funny
    Where the hell are the April Fools Stories?

    Has slashdot gone too corporate for April Fools stories now?? Not even one OMG Ponies story??

    Geez...I usually look forward to April 1st just to see what kind of stuff shows up on /., but, this year...what happened?

    --
    Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
  3. Re:first post by spun · · Score: 5, Funny

    Well I think ISPs should use the "Turn them upside down, shake them, and keep whatever falls out of their pockets" business model. Because I don't wear pants.

    --
    - None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
  4. Re:first post by MobyDisk · · Score: 2, Funny

    Maybe, maybe not. I bet the porn/music/pirate software downloaders use way more than that average Slashdotter.. Oops, wait, did I just describe the average Slashdotter? I thought they all bought indie music on CDs, used open-source, and wrote code all day?

    Nevermind... the parent was right. Slashdotters would be the major bandwidth users.

  5. Re:first post by EvilRyry · · Score: 2, Funny

    Maybe he's a news anchor.

  6. Re:first post by SleepyHappyDoc · · Score: 3, Funny

    If you wanted a car analogy, I bet there's one in people complaining that their car doesn't complete trips in the least possible time given the distance (55mph should do 550 miles in ten hours exactly, never mind red lights, gas stops, bathroom breaks, etc.).

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    Stasis is death. Embrace change.