I doubt the limits would be on moment-to-moment bandwidth available. The point would be to limit average bandwidth consumption over a period of time (say 10GB/month - or whatever).
The ISPs would be utter fools to cave in to this. Unfortunately, though, some of the media companies are the ones who own the ISPs (Time Warner Cable, for instance).
Now the FCC says cable bandwidth is strictly reserved for cable companies. Which means that if you are one of the many high-bandwidth downloaders, and you get screwed by your ISP, and DSL's not in your neighborhood, you're up shit creek. Hey - there's always dialup!
Next up on the Guilty-Until-Proven-Innocent agenda:
- Automatic speeding tickets for anyone who drives on the freeway, or in certain models of cars. Because we all know that nobody drives the speed limit on the expressway, and why would you want that fast car if you aren't speeding?
- Jail time for anyone caught spending a $100 bill. Drug dealers use $100 bills.
- Vaseline and its evil counterpart, Vaseline Intensive Care, moved with all the other lotions and lubricants to the "adult" section of the store. To protect the moral health of the non-pervy customers, you know.
Wrong. It doesn't work both ways. Modern corporate capitalism insulates those at the very top by passing along every increased cost along with every demand from investors for predictably increasing profits. The bigger the corporations get, the less risk at the top.
Because the investment market demands it, there will never be a limit to how far companies will go, tacking on additional costs. Company A does it, Companies B and C see that A didn't collapse, then they do it too. People bitch for a while, but seeing no easy alternative, eventually move on and accept it. No collusion needed - the big investors spread the word as to what is needed. Don't do it, and your market value takes a dive.
Here are a (very) few recent examples:
ATMs - when was the last time you went "off-network" and DIDN'T pay an ATM fee? ATMs, even free ones, save money for banks, who no longer have to pay tellers. But they continue to practice this blatant theft because they can get away with it. Why? Profits must rise!
Ring Tones - Want an annoying song on your phone? Pay $2 and we'll give it to you for three months. How do they get away with this? There are no alternatives. Should one arise and gain any traction, expect it to be sued/legislated out of existence.
Credit cards - Everyone knows it's evil to raise someone's interest rate quietly from 10% to 30% because that person was late on a phone bill. And that's just the tip of the iceberg for that slimy sector. And yet it continues to happen, and for some reason the "free market" hasn't stepped in to stop it. Profits must rise!
It's time we face the facts. Corporations are consumers' enemies, no matter how much they try to soothe us into believing they're not. And in that war, they have all the big guns. DRM is another cannon in the arsenal. It's hardly surprising that some choose to use guerilla tactics like P2P to fight back.
Slashdot Mirror
The ISPs would be utter fools to cave in to this. Unfortunately, though, some of the media companies are the ones who own the ISPs (Time Warner Cable, for instance).
Now the FCC says cable bandwidth is strictly reserved for cable companies. Which means that if you are one of the many high-bandwidth downloaders, and you get screwed by your ISP, and DSL's not in your neighborhood, you're up shit creek. Hey - there's always dialup!
Next up on the Guilty-Until-Proven-Innocent agenda:
- Automatic speeding tickets for anyone who drives on the freeway, or in certain models of cars. Because we all know that nobody drives the speed limit on the expressway, and why would you want that fast car if you aren't speeding?
- Jail time for anyone caught spending a $100 bill. Drug dealers use $100 bills.
- Vaseline and its evil counterpart, Vaseline Intensive Care, moved with all the other lotions and lubricants to the "adult" section of the store. To protect the moral health of the non-pervy customers, you know.
Because the investment market demands it, there will never be a limit to how far companies will go, tacking on additional costs. Company A does it, Companies B and C see that A didn't collapse, then they do it too. People bitch for a while, but seeing no easy alternative, eventually move on and accept it. No collusion needed - the big investors spread the word as to what is needed. Don't do it, and your market value takes a dive.
Here are a (very) few recent examples:
ATMs - when was the last time you went "off-network" and DIDN'T pay an ATM fee? ATMs, even free ones, save money for banks, who no longer have to pay tellers. But they continue to practice this blatant theft because they can get away with it. Why? Profits must rise!
Ring Tones - Want an annoying song on your phone? Pay $2 and we'll give it to you for three months. How do they get away with this? There are no alternatives. Should one arise and gain any traction, expect it to be sued/legislated out of existence.
Credit cards - Everyone knows it's evil to raise someone's interest rate quietly from 10% to 30% because that person was late on a phone bill. And that's just the tip of the iceberg for that slimy sector. And yet it continues to happen, and for some reason the "free market" hasn't stepped in to stop it. Profits must rise!
It's time we face the facts. Corporations are consumers' enemies, no matter how much they try to soothe us into believing they're not. And in that war, they have all the big guns. DRM is another cannon in the arsenal. It's hardly surprising that some choose to use guerilla tactics like P2P to fight back.