http://blogs.att.net/consumerblog/story/a7801212
Today, our home Internet customers use just over 100 GB of data per month on average. So even with our smallest U-verse Internet data allowance of 300 GB the average customer has plenty of data to do more.
U-verse Internet Speed Tiers2
New Data Allowance
What you can do with the data
768 Kbps 6 Mbps
300 GB
100 hours of HD video streaming
12 Mbps 75Mbps
600 GB
240 hours of HD video streaming
100 Mbps 1 Gbps
1 TB
400 hours of HD video streaming
1. Punish Cord Cutters
2. Stop streaming services
3. Slow 4K growth
U-verse always had bandwidth caps IIRC, but they were hardly ever enforced, especially if you also had U-verse TV. If you had both internet and TV, they literally cannot tell how much data you are using for internet versus TV, as it is an IPTV service. So it makes sense that they finally admit that combo subscribers will get unlimited data, because it would be very difficult for them to remotely try and enforce caps for those users.
Oh, and welcome to my world. Local
monopoly cable company (same family owns the major local newspaper too, yay) has had caps for a few years now. Absolutely ridiculous, so much so that, as I am moving to a new place this summer, I'm actively searching for a good and affordable place outside of the city limits, where it is more likely to find Time Warner instead of our local provider. Now, I've had good service with our company (Buckeye Cablesystem), but I've heard many complaints too. So, I figure it won't be much different going to Time Warner. Every cable company is despised by most of its users, so not too concerned. But not only do they have no caps, they also have better rates on all services.
I was looking into U-verse a little, but after discovering they use IPTV for their "cable" solution, I've been discouraged. That equals no DIY DVR approach, as there is no CableCARD. Even though CableCARD is dying (oh I cannot wait until that's true... presuming there's a replacement in place before that day), at least I can create my own DVR system in house, and once HDHR DVR is finished, that will be awesome.
Tangent incoming... but I cannot stand all the bullshit about how further FCC regulation of the cable industry = going backwards, preventing competition and product/service evolution, etc etc... and is harmful to consumers. The Republican commissioners (why are these bastards even affiliated with parties? That's the worst part IMHO, but I digress, in my digression. lol)
Sure, while some operators are innovating, a little bit, making flashier rental boxes that can do more, and offering apps for Roku and other streaming platforms... they aren't the ones innovating, they are trying to remain relevant.
The whole-home DVR solutions? That was a novelty, very rare, and the major developer behind that push was Moxi, which was bought out by Arris. Moxi had partnered with a cable company, I think it was Cox, to have their hardware/platform as an option for subscribers. But they were one of, if not the chief developer in the whole-home DVR space, integrating a multi-client system with a central box. In fact, that's the exact solution my cable company uses. It's Arris branded, but it's the Moxi service and interface through and through. The only difference is now MoCA is incorporated into the devices instead of requiring an Ethernet infrastructure. I'm not complaining that it's based on Moxi... who is now defunct as a consumer-facing business, which is a pity but they had a hard time competing with Tivo, especially due to the expense of the equipment upfront, but that was offset thanks to zero subscription fees. Great interface. But I hate the combined box. Modem+Router+DVR = stability nightmare. Just a Modem+Router package is a nightmare IMHO, let alone adding anything else.
But Moxi introduced the idea, and Arris ran with it, and now everyone wants in on the act. Because of competition. And guess what spawned that competition? A third-party, direct to consumer entity. Not a cable company.
CableCARD is an ancient beast that needs to perish, but the idea was great. Take away absolute control over the consumer's devices, and let the regular industry develop new ideas. Surely operators will know how to draw inspiration and try to compete, they've been doing it all along. When Tivo was brand new, no cable company had a DVR solution. And then they did. Who is to thank for that? Oh wait, a third-party selling equipment to consumers.
I love the idea of a software-based approach. Frankly, the USA has been behind the entire time. Much of the world utilizes DVB standards as opposed to ATSC here in the States (oh, aren't we the lucky ones, forever shirking worldwide standards because we're unique little butterflies!). And while it's not the fault of ATSC as a standard, but we further took a shat on that by adding convoluted encryption and security standards that require, at this time, physical devices to decode before anything can access the streams. Why is this? Because American media absolutely hates the DVR and consumer rights, because it relinquishes their control of advertising. Oddly, the big brother states like the UK are still very pro-consumer rights when it comes to media. All you need is something like the HDHR to access whatever you have access to on your subscription. You don't need convoluted equipment.
And something that isn't even a function of the technical standards, like "accurate recording" and the other names by which it masquerades, could work here in the USA, but no, it doesn't fit in with the American model of media. Tired of recordings cutting off before the show finished, even when you added sufficient padding? Yeah, I guess that's not a thing in most of the world. Only here, where networks refuse to help consumers and instead would rather punish us for not watching everything live, where we are guaranteed to enjoy every single one of their commercials. Advertising is too big of a thing here for them to ever let us be truly happy.
Adding a software security standard, to replace the hardware standard, is at least a step in the right direction.
In spirit of today and Google's Gmail antics, I give you:
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