Verizon CEO: Net Neutrality Is About Heavy Users Paying More For years we've noted how broadband ISPs have tried to pass off the idea of usage caps as one of "fairness," with it "only being right" that heavier users should pay more money. While logical on its surface, the problem with that rhetoric of course is that when you actually look at the "creative" pricing that gets introduced again and again (especially usage caps), it ends with everybody paying more, regardless of usage. It's not about fairness as it is usually about justifying high prices in less competitive markets. Speaking this week about the company's victory over the FCC's net neutrality rules (which killed the rules but did leave the FCC with some authority to regulate broadband ISPs), Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam stated that any concern that they'd behave badly is "histrionics," and that the most important thing you need to understand when thinking about net neutrality is that it's mostly about you needing to pay Verizon more money: quote: McAdam dismissed concerns that his company would selectively block or slow some Web content. "We make our money by carrying traffic," he said. "That's how we make dollars. So to view that we're going to be advantaging one over the other really is a lot of histrionics, I think, at this point."But McAdam suggested that broadband power users should pay extra. "It's only natural that the heavy users help contribute to the investment to keep the Web healthy," he said. "That is the most important concept of net neutrality." While Verizon's FiOS doesn't have the kind of lower usage caps seen with other ISPs (well, outside of the this is just how the neutral, healthy Internet works. While Verizon's FiOS doesn't have the kind of lower usage caps seen with other ISPs (well, outside of the 10 terabyte variety that only impacts extreme users), they've traditionally always left the door open to such a possibility when asked. Should they arrive and you suddenly find yourself one day paying even more money for already-expensive FiOS, just be happy knowing that







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Most recommended from 111 comments

DanteX

join:2010-09-09 8 recommendations DanteX Member Heavy users subsidize the users who do not use their connection SO heavy users must pay more eh?



How about the fact these so called heavy users are using their connection to the fullest extent and subsidizing the users who barley use their connections or use it just to chat on Facebook or look at cute animal pictures firedrakes

join:2009-01-29

Arcadia, FL 6 recommendations firedrakes Member nope its greed on verizon part its nothing more then greed hear and not certain people downloading saneblane

join:2013-01-23

Houston, TX 5 recommendations saneblane Member Corporatism shows it head again. There is no such thing as a heavy user, these are people that use the internet that they pay for. An ISP that is complaining about 'heavy' users, who are few and far between should be happy and shut up, because today's heavy is not going to be tomorrow's heavy. it's ridiculous when you think about it, when its few and far between they complain, but when it's many they shutup and upgrade because the usage is now the new normal. Corporatism is what is destroying the US, this has nothing to do with Capitalism that ship has long sailed.

tshirt

Premium Member

join:2004-07-11

Snohomish, WA 2 edits 2 recommendations tshirt Premium Member The most honest quote ever.... .... is quickly shredded by the DSLR audience.

They are in the business of connectivity for the purpose of making money, they will happily provide capacity as long as they see enough long term demand to profit from it.

Like ringing a bell, more profit potential drives a bigger and faster response time and if big enough more competitors emerge.

Constantly chanting "Cheaper, cheaper, cheaper" works against your (group) long term interest in having more overlapping players, but maybe your (individual)desire.(cheap)