This is a 100% click bait article, and I'm disappointed in you Slashdot.
(1) Smart thermostats need very little bandwidth at all to operate remotely (e.g. via a smartphone or web page). It's not like your smart thermostat is constantly streaming videos or downloading updates (although the occasional update does happen). The ISP clearly said that they will throttle your bandwidth if they think you are engaging in illegal pirate activity. So it might take 1 minute instead of 5 seconds to adjust the temperature remotely, even if you are throttled.
(2) Most smart thermostats (definitely the Nest) have a set points where you define a minimum temperature that it will not go below. Even if you have no internet connection, your thermostat will ensure that you maintain a minimum, safe temperature level.
(3) If you're home, you can still manually adjust the temperature by walking over the the thermostat and turning the dial.
Slashdot Mirror
This is a 100% click bait article, and I'm disappointed in you Slashdot. (1) Smart thermostats need very little bandwidth at all to operate remotely (e.g. via a smartphone or web page). It's not like your smart thermostat is constantly streaming videos or downloading updates (although the occasional update does happen). The ISP clearly said that they will throttle your bandwidth if they think you are engaging in illegal pirate activity. So it might take 1 minute instead of 5 seconds to adjust the temperature remotely, even if you are throttled. (2) Most smart thermostats (definitely the Nest) have a set points where you define a minimum temperature that it will not go below. Even if you have no internet connection, your thermostat will ensure that you maintain a minimum, safe temperature level. (3) If you're home, you can still manually adjust the temperature by walking over the the thermostat and turning the dial.