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Verizon Announces Pay-Per-Use 'Turbo Boost' For Smartphones

Posted by timothy on from the insert-coin-insert-coin-insert-coin dept.

renek writes "In one of the most brazen attacks on net neutrality to date, Verizon has announced it will offer a so called 'Turbo Boost' for smart phones that run on its wireless network. 'Verizon will publish an API that could allow consumers to 'turbocharge' the network bandwidth their smartphone apps use for a small fee, executives said Tuesday. Verizon anticipates that a customer running an app on a smartphone will have the option to dynamically snatch more bandwidth for that app, if network congestion slows it down, said Hugh Fletcher, associate director for technology in Verizon's Product Development and Technology team. The app, however, must be running what Verizon referred to as the network optimization API it is currently developing, and hopes to publish by the third quarter of 2012.'"

8 of 129 comments (clear)

  1. If... by msauve · · Score: 3, Informative

    this is simply local cache (like Akamai), which is what it sounds like, it's a service, not a violation of net neutrality.

    --
    "National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
    1. Re:If... by siddesu · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Sounds more like yet another way to sell the same bandwidth to me.

    2. Re:If... by msauve · · Score: 4, Informative

      "It favors those who pay more. That's the whole problem that net neutrality is against."

      Huh? You don't pay your ISP more for more bandwidth today? It's not reasonable/acceptable for an ISP to charge on that basis?

      If anything, this seems like a good thing, since it's granular, and pay-as-you-go -- instead of simply paying for monthly bandwidth you may or may not take advantage of, simply buy a minimal level of bandwidth, and pay more as needed.

      Finally, you're wrong. Net neutrality is all about preventing service providers from charging unfavorable rates for access based on the service (especially competitive services, e.g. charging more for Netflix bandwidth than for a cable Internet provider's own IPTV offerings). There's nothing to indicate that is the case in this instance, that they would charge less for increased B/W to their own services than other ones.

      --
      "National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
  2. How is this different... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    ...from an ISP offering (for example) 1Mbps and 10Mbps connections at different prices?

    It's actually better for the consumer, since you can buy the increased speed for a small amount of time as opposed to being forced to buy for a month or even multiple years at a time.

    As long as this API is open to all developers, it's not a violation of Net Neutrality.

  3. Re:No developer will pay for this. by blanks · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Did a quick re-read and it turns out they are going to offer it for free to developers in hopes of forcing customers to click on a button to get charged for better network speeds.

    Somehow if their network is too saturated this client api will speed up their network they are saying. Oh, no it wont, they will simply throttle other paying customers while charging you an additional fee for a service you are all ready paying for.

    Oh and a great quote from the article :

      "And just because you request a high quality of service doesn't mean you're gonna get it."

    --
    TruePunk | Games
  4. In other words... by milbournosphere · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "We'll sell you on bandwidth speed we don't have, and then charge you to actually use it."
    This is bullshit for quite a few reasons.

  5. And all of a sudden.. by SuperCharlie · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Nothing seems to work so great without "turbo boost"..

  6. An interesting deal by tftp · · Score: 4, Insightful

    As many already said, this has nothing to do with net neutrality. However it has everything to deal with fraud.

    You, as a customer, are buying a cell phone and a plan that comes with it. You are expecting certain performance of the wireless link, and you are getting it for the moment. But later the cell operator decides to sell your bandwidth to the highest bidder! In the end everybody pays the "turbo" fee to get any bandwidth at all, but everybody is back to square one... except the cell company who has now more money. Time for the "hyper-turbo" sales campaign then, to fleece the sheep once more?