High Speed Internet and DOCSIS 3.0 (prices, verizon FIOS, expense)

[GCMD]

Time Warner Cable is holding out on its customers. There is a new implementation called DOCSIS 3.0. Basically it's 4 copper wires for dowload, 4 for upload. In this system, they can offer over 170Mbps (down) and 122Mbps (up) [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DOCSIS#Speed_Tables[/url].

TWC has offered this upgrade ONLY in NY (Manhattan) to date. The ONLY reason they offered it there was direct competition with Verizon FiOS (which boasts the fastest internet speeds in the US, maybe in the Western Hemisphere of the world!!) DOCSIS 3.0 is very cheap and would provide an ABUNDANT amount of bandwidth to the casual and serious user. Especially the upload bandwidth currently provided which is capped at 60 KBps (450 kbps) compared to DOCSIS 3.0 in NY which is 500 KBps (5mbps) upload for $100/month [6.25 MBps down (50mbps)].

TWC wants to implement consumption-based-billing (CBB) which is a fancy way of driving up prices by charging for bandwidth. They claim the bandwidth is "so expensive" yet it is the second lowest expense they paid last year (40 mil compared to over 3 BILLION for programming). They want to force people to accept CBB in order to receive the upgrade to DOCSIS 3.0, which is highway robbery and arm-wrangling, IMHO.

There are many GREAT articles breaking down the obfuscation and deception TWC and it's representatives spout and providing the truth in a much clearer/concise way than I could hope to convey in this post. Just GOOGLE "DOCSIS 3.0 and Time Warner Cable".

If you want these upgrades, you need to make sure you educate yourselves on this situation and make your voice heard. I don't think it's fair that places like NY and CA receive all of the latest upgrades and technology when we pay just as much for vastly inferior services.

Thank you for reading this,

GCMD

[GCMD]

[url=http://dvice.com/archives/2008/03/shift-broadband.php]SHIFT: Broadband fight pits corporations against users, Internet future at stake | DVICE[/url]

Check out this article comparing speeds across the world, prices and discussing big business's effect on the future of "net neutrality".

[le roi]

No biggie.

I will just configure my PC to piggyback off my iPhone's 3G connection and... *poof* problem solved

TWC has been a fat, happy monopoly for years.

[drexellake]

The real reason is because NY is a test market. Time Warner has fiber in place that will handle much higher speeds than 170mbps both ways. Have for years. Old news.

Telecommunications Specialist since 1980 Two degrees in the field.

But I think Time Warner sucks. Wait until the make the change to start charging for bandwidth usage on top of monthly fees. Not if, but when.

[ranger17]

no different then when we had Charter back in WI and took forever to get HD...with only one supplier, no reason to send out the upgrades as quickly...