Comments on: Call for Apple to Get Involved in Campaign Against Internet Overcharging http://stopthecap.com/2009/06/29/call-for-apple-to-get-involved-in-campaign-against-internet-overcharging/ Promoting Better Broadband, Fighting Usage Caps, Usage-Based Billing, & Other Internet Overcharging Schemes Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:18:12 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: jack http://stopthecap.com/2009/06/29/call-for-apple-to-get-involved-in-campaign-against-internet-overcharging/comment-page-1/#comment-6181 jack Wed, 09 Sep 2009 19:58:07 +0000 http://stopthecap.com/?p=3453#comment-6181 i just got sunflower broadband about a month ago to do homework on my computer, and now i can't even use it for my assignments because media files won't completely download(i feel this is because of my internet service). i have to go down to the campus to do all my homework. i have the silver internet package because, face it, bronze is completely worthless. these guys are complete crooks and they get away with it because these college kids all have rich parents and nobody bothers to speak up about it. it makes me sick yet i still subscribe to not only their internet but their overpriced cable too. i get like 30 channels (4 of which are home shopping) no good channels like comedy central or amc. and they still charge me about $40 a month. i just got sunflower broadband about a month ago to do homework on my computer, and now i can’t even use it for my assignments because media files won’t completely download(i feel this is because of my internet service). i have to go down to the campus to do all my homework. i have the silver internet package because, face it, bronze is completely worthless. these guys are complete crooks and they get away with it because these college kids all have rich parents and nobody bothers to speak up about it. it makes me sick yet i still subscribe to not only their internet but their overpriced cable too. i get like 30 channels (4 of which are home shopping) no good channels like comedy central or amc. and they still charge me about $40 a month.

]]> By: Phillip Dampier http://stopthecap.com/2009/06/29/call-for-apple-to-get-involved-in-campaign-against-internet-overcharging/comment-page-1/#comment-6156 Phillip Dampier Tue, 08 Sep 2009 15:52:36 +0000 http://stopthecap.com/?p=3453#comment-6156 Sunflower Broadband is a tiny provider when compared against others. Having tens of thousands of customers is a far cry from serving tens of millions, as larger providers do. The economy of scale does factor in broadband pricing, particularly for connectivity. Smaller providers pay more in connectivity costs (per customer) than large ones do, and that is reflected in Sunflower's higher than average pricing, for capped broadband service (at the time this article was originally written.) I am not sure residents of Lawrence want to pay higher than average pricing for broadband in order to, as you suggest, subsidize their other businesses. No matter, that formula you suggest is in place will be thrown to its knees should AT&T enter Lawrence and provide U-verse service. Consumers will consider providers based on price, and the subsidies possible from a near monopoly (AT&T only offers a lower speed DSL service for now) will likely fade rapidly with the entry of a competitor that does not overcharge for broadband and can compete on speed. Virtually every cable provider faced with imminent competition that can beat them on speed will commit to DOCSIS 3 to prepare themselves for a more competitive arena. It's actually quite affordable for providers, even smaller ones. I'll bet AT&T's U-verse platform does have Sunflower looking over its shoulder, even if it's not imminent there. Now, onto Sunflower and the caps. I noticed several days ago that Sunflower had created a new tier that does offer an uncapped option, and am planning to write about it, but there are asterisks all over this one. First, the company retains caps for its lower priced, lower speed tiers (albeit increased them in several cases), and has now created a cap-free tier, but there is a catch: your speeds may vary and are not defined. Now, $50 for uncapped broadband is not a bad deal, especially if the speeds are close to the next best premium tier. But until I get clarification about what provisions the company defines for the uncapped tier's speeds, and what mechanism is involved to change them, I am holding off on writing it up. Apparently this is discussed in the company's forums, but as far as I can tell, those forums are linked through the online customer portal, and you need an account to access them. Sunflower Broadband is a tiny provider when compared against others. Having tens of thousands of customers is a far cry from serving tens of millions, as larger providers do. The economy of scale does factor in broadband pricing, particularly for connectivity. Smaller providers pay more in connectivity costs (per customer) than large ones do, and that is reflected in Sunflower’s higher than average pricing, for capped broadband service (at the time this article was originally written.)

I am not sure residents of Lawrence want to pay higher than average pricing for broadband in order to, as you suggest, subsidize their other businesses. No matter, that formula you suggest is in place will be thrown to its knees should AT&T enter Lawrence and provide U-verse service. Consumers will consider providers based on price, and the subsidies possible from a near monopoly (AT&T only offers a lower speed DSL service for now) will likely fade rapidly with the entry of a competitor that does not overcharge for broadband and can compete on speed.

Virtually every cable provider faced with imminent competition that can beat them on speed will commit to DOCSIS 3 to prepare themselves for a more competitive arena. It’s actually quite affordable for providers, even smaller ones. I’ll bet AT&T’s U-verse platform does have Sunflower looking over its shoulder, even if it’s not imminent there.

Now, onto Sunflower and the caps. I noticed several days ago that Sunflower had created a new tier that does offer an uncapped option, and am planning to write about it, but there are asterisks all over this one. First, the company retains caps for its lower priced, lower speed tiers (albeit increased them in several cases), and has now created a cap-free tier, but there is a catch: your speeds may vary and are not defined.

Now, $50 for uncapped broadband is not a bad deal, especially if the speeds are close to the next best premium tier. But until I get clarification about what provisions the company defines for the uncapped tier’s speeds, and what mechanism is involved to change them, I am holding off on writing it up.

Apparently this is discussed in the company’s forums, but as far as I can tell, those forums are linked through the online customer portal, and you need an account to access them.

]]> By: Alex D http://stopthecap.com/2009/06/29/call-for-apple-to-get-involved-in-campaign-against-internet-overcharging/comment-page-1/#comment-6145 Alex D Tue, 08 Sep 2009 04:41:01 +0000 http://stopthecap.com/?p=3453#comment-6145 Several posts and comments on this site have rubbed me the wrong way, especially high handed and misguided comments on Sunflower and Lawrence in general. First, Sunflower is hardly a podunk or rural provider. Lawrence is a city of almost 100,000 less than 30 minutes from the Kansas City metropolitan area and home to a major research university (KU). The median income is $35,000 because nearly a quarter of the population is composed of students. Second, complaints about Sunflower as some type of cruel overlord depriving the city of Lawrence of good internet grossly over simplify the situation. The city of Lawrence has essentially allowed the World Company, owners of Sunflower Broadband, the local newspaper, TV station and etc to develop a media monopoly. Usually I´d be concerned about this situation, but with it Lawrence has been able to keep a thriving and independent local press that has developed some seriously innovative open source technology used across the country (Django, http://www.djangoproject.com/, for instance). In addition, the World company has built one of the best newspaper websites (ljworld.com, lawrence.com) I´ve seen, with what has to be the highest level of involvement (comments, blogs, etc) for a newspaper of its size. Much of the revenue that developed this site and other projects has come from the higher than average broadband prices. In essence, broadband is one part of a more holistic view of media that the city has developed, and in my opinion, benefited from. Finally, Sunflower recently rolled out DOCSIS 3 (how many ¨podunk providers¨ are doing that?) and got rid of caps. So, anyone complaining here, feel free to refute these arguments or observations. Otherwise, stop complaining. -Alex Several posts and comments on this site have rubbed me the wrong way, especially high handed and misguided comments on Sunflower and Lawrence in general. First, Sunflower is hardly a podunk or rural provider. Lawrence is a city of almost 100,000 less than 30 minutes from the Kansas City metropolitan area and home to a major research university (KU). The median income is $35,000 because nearly a quarter of the population is composed of students. Second, complaints about Sunflower as some type of cruel overlord depriving the city of Lawrence of good internet grossly over simplify the situation. The city of Lawrence has essentially allowed the World Company, owners of Sunflower Broadband, the local newspaper, TV station and etc to develop a media monopoly. Usually I´d be concerned about this situation, but with it Lawrence has been able to keep a thriving and independent local press that has developed some seriously innovative open source technology used across the country (Django, http://www.djangoproject.com/, for instance). In addition, the World company has built one of the best newspaper websites (ljworld.com, lawrence.com) I´ve seen, with what has to be the highest level of involvement (comments, blogs, etc) for a newspaper of its size. Much of the revenue that developed this site and other projects has come from the higher than average broadband prices. In essence, broadband is one part of a more holistic view of media that the city has developed, and in my opinion, benefited from. Finally, Sunflower recently rolled out DOCSIS 3 (how many ¨podunk providers¨ are doing that?) and got rid of caps. So, anyone complaining here, feel free to refute these arguments or observations. Otherwise, stop complaining.

-Alex

]]> By: Saul M http://stopthecap.com/2009/06/29/call-for-apple-to-get-involved-in-campaign-against-internet-overcharging/comment-page-1/#comment-5330 Saul M Mon, 27 Jul 2009 01:59:13 +0000 http://stopthecap.com/?p=3453#comment-5330 They're capping speeds as well. I pay for the Gold packaging, 2.2mb/s is what I expect. Instead I get a capping of 500kb/s. I just talked to customer service, they spit the same 'stats' that haven't updated since 2007. "Maybe its the server you're downloading from". Everything from itunes, xbox live, the University of Kansas, my premium megaupload account, to torrents are capped to 500kb/s. It drives me crazy. I've troubleshooted every possible reason on my end to why this is happening to me, from the modem and router to the OS, same shit. Fuck sunflower and their price gouging asses. I pay for gold, but I don't even get silver level service, and I get less than copper customer service. They’re capping speeds as well. I pay for the Gold packaging, 2.2mb/s is what I expect. Instead I get a capping
of 500kb/s. I just talked to customer service, they spit the same ’stats’ that haven’t updated since 2007. “Maybe its the server you’re downloading from”. Everything from itunes, xbox live, the University of Kansas, my premium megaupload account, to torrents are capped to 500kb/s. It drives me crazy. I’ve troubleshooted every possible reason on my end to why this is happening to me, from the modem and router to the OS, same shit. Fuck sunflower and their price gouging asses. I pay for gold, but I don’t even get silver level service, and I get less than copper customer service.

]]> By: Brian http://stopthecap.com/2009/06/29/call-for-apple-to-get-involved-in-campaign-against-internet-overcharging/comment-page-1/#comment-4990 Brian Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:12:29 +0000 http://stopthecap.com/?p=3453#comment-4990 Some of you should go to that Apple Blog thread. There are obviously sunflower employees defending the cap. I particularly like the line that 3 gig is enough to do updates. Has anyone seen some of the updates programs do lately. And then people want you instead of buying the extra bandwidth in bulk, they want you to buy it in advance. Of course, you need to do that BEFORE you go over and it does NOT carry over to the next month. I think Sunflower and the cable companies are going to win these fights because we aren't speaking up enough on the issue :( The whole "people don't go over" is a crock of bull. I don't know anyone that HASN'T gone over. Of course, when they own the TV stations in town, all surrounding newspapers, and a computer repair division, consumers have no recourse. Am i the only one that finds this all very disturbing? Please comment on that blog to counter the sunflower shills Some of you should go to that Apple Blog thread. There are obviously sunflower employees defending the cap. I particularly like the line that 3 gig is enough to do updates. Has anyone seen some of the updates programs do lately. And then people want you instead of buying the extra bandwidth in bulk, they want you to buy it in advance. Of course, you need to do that BEFORE you go over and it does NOT carry over to the next month.

I think Sunflower and the cable companies are going to win these fights because we aren’t speaking up enough on the issue :(

The whole “people don’t go over” is a crock of bull. I don’t know anyone that HASN’T gone over. Of course, when they own the TV stations in town, all surrounding newspapers, and a computer repair division, consumers have no recourse.

Am i the only one that finds this all very disturbing? Please comment on that blog to counter the sunflower shills

]]> By: Uncle Ken http://stopthecap.com/2009/06/29/call-for-apple-to-get-involved-in-campaign-against-internet-overcharging/comment-page-1/#comment-4989 Uncle Ken Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:48:13 +0000 http://stopthecap.com/?p=3453#comment-4989 Thanks much Tim: I just got the 3.5 update and beside a couple of new small buttons its going well. I will follow yoru advice and get it now. Thanks again. Ken Thanks much Tim: I just got the 3.5 update and beside a couple of new small buttons its going well. I will follow yoru advice and get it now. Thanks again. Ken

]]> By: Tim http://stopthecap.com/2009/06/29/call-for-apple-to-get-involved-in-campaign-against-internet-overcharging/comment-page-1/#comment-4988 Tim Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:29:49 +0000 http://stopthecap.com/?p=3453#comment-4988 or if you have Firefox, you can download the NoScript addon. or if you have Firefox, you can download the NoScript addon.

]]> By: Uncle Ken http://stopthecap.com/2009/06/29/call-for-apple-to-get-involved-in-campaign-against-internet-overcharging/comment-page-1/#comment-4977 Uncle Ken Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:09:34 +0000 http://stopthecap.com/?p=3453#comment-4977 JR: Flash switch http://www.flashswitch.com/ will take care of that problem. There are a few other programs also. I use this one. JR:
Flash switch http://www.flashswitch.com/ will take care of that problem. There are a few other programs also. I use this one.

]]> By: jr http://stopthecap.com/2009/06/29/call-for-apple-to-get-involved-in-campaign-against-internet-overcharging/comment-page-1/#comment-4974 jr Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:13:12 +0000 http://stopthecap.com/?p=3453#comment-4974 Most sites have flash ads these days that start playing when you go to the site. Their limits will be reached before the month is half way through. None of these execs ever surf the web. All they do is play golf all day and pretend they're "in touch" with their customers Most sites have flash ads these days that start playing when you go to the site. Their limits will be reached before the month is half way through. None of these execs ever surf the web. All they do is play golf all day and pretend they’re “in touch” with their customers

]]> By: BrionS http://stopthecap.com/2009/06/29/call-for-apple-to-get-involved-in-campaign-against-internet-overcharging/comment-page-1/#comment-4972 BrionS Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:52:27 +0000 http://stopthecap.com/?p=3453#comment-4972 Thanks for weighing in Dave. I was hoping someone from Lawrence would stop by and give the real scoop. Thanks for weighing in Dave. I was hoping someone from Lawrence would stop by and give the real scoop.

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