Quote:
Originally Posted by Kreth
I'd expect Netflix and other streaming providers to get involved as soon as they start getting complaints from customers who can't download the unlimited content that they're paying for.
This is like a restaurant advertising an all-you-can-eat buffet, then telling you that you're only allowed two trips because 2% of their customers are hogging the King Crab legs. 
Posted via Mobile Device |
Netflix and other streaming providers are actually the source of the issue.
ISP's want a taste of the streaming revenue. It's been a big issue for some time now. As the streaming outfits get more and more customers, the isp's have to dump more and more money into developing infrastructure to support the much greater demand for data.
They really do have a legitimate gripe, depending how you look at it.
Take Netflix, for instance. They are pouring tons and tons of data into the pipe. The more they dump, the bigger pipe the ISP has to provide, and their profits go down while Netflix profits swell.
The only thing they can do to muscle money out of Netflix is to make it inaccessible to their customers. If the consumer can't use it, they won't buy it.
It'll take awhile before this strategy gains any weight, but soon they'll have a gun to Netflix's head, and maybe they'll start sharing revenue.
I think Netflix would be nuts to cave in. If they do, we as customers lose. The isp's will never become competitive until the whole deal becomes completely deregulated, anyway.
This type of thing isn't a problem in other countries because there's true competition between the isp's. The best service wins, and consumers have options. Because of FCC regulation here, providers are left spending all their time and money fighting over their piece of the pie, rather than building a bigger pie.
As demand for data increases, it'll reach a point where the FCC will have to loosen the knoose. Expect that to happen when it becomes a big enough problem that the people are willing to allow a tax on data flow.
As with everything, there's always a big, complicated mess behind what's happening. This thing is a lot more complicated, but it boils down to greed and government, just like usual.
Please excuse me if that last comment sounds political. It's not meant to be at all. It's just my opinion on the condition of the condition.
