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"It makes perfect sense that Comcast should be paid for access to their customers." I disagree, heartily. Comcast's customers are paying Comcast for access to t
by jordan0day 16y ago
"It makes perfect sense that Comcast should be paid for access to their customers."
I disagree, heartily. Comcast's customers are paying Comcast for access to the entire internet, not just to the little segment of the network that Comcast owns.
- boredguy8 16y agoExactly this, especially in markets where there isn't consumer choice (which is something I don't see anyone talking about on HN). Conceivably an ISP could charge customers for a connection AND charge providers for access to that base. For instance, magazines charge for both the subscription and the advertisements. However, I can decide if I want Harper's or US Weekly. If one provides value and the other doesn't, I get to pick. With ISPs, the same feature isn't at play: I either use Road Runner or I don't get high-speed bandwidth. At that point, ISPs have a larger obligation to protect the customers by not doing things like what Comcast is doing.