End of Net Neutral in Texas

American Internet providers are beginning to move from words to deeds and impose restrictions on too active users of the Network. And if some time ago the repressions were of a hidden nature (observation, warning, disconnection), then today there are already statements about an open return to the Internet traffic payment system by gigabyte. In particular, cable operator Time Warner Cable on Thursday began the pilot introduction of limited tariffs in the city of Beamont, Texas (500 thousand inhabitants). Customers will be offered a choice: 768-kilobit channel with a prepaid 5 GB traffic for $ 29.95 or 15-megabit with 40 GB for $ 54.90. Each gigabyte extra will cost the user an extra $ 1.

The need for such a measure is indicated by the statistics, which roughly coincides with all cable providers: 5% of users occupy 50% of the capacity of the main channels. Moreover, a significant part of the traffic going to them and from them is foreign. While the rest do not even come close to the established “dangerous marks” of traffic consumption.

The limited pricing of Internet access in the United States began to gradually die off since 1996, when the largest dialup provider AOL introduced unlimited tariffs. It should be noted that DSL providers still do not plan to apply draconian measures to their users because of the different network structure from cable companies.