AT&T will inflict data caps on it’s customers tomorrow. A 150 Gigabyte cap on it’s internet customers is somewhat generous. It would take 130 hours of Netflix to equal 150 gigabytes. Or about 64 hours of HD Netflix (HD uses more bytes). This means AT&T would not be charging the casual viewer extra, but people who share internet connections or parents with children who (use more than 130 hours per month) will see the AT&T’s overage charges. After triggering the extra fees, AT&T will charge $.20 per Gigabyte.
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Exclusive-ATT-To-Impose-Caps-Overages-113149
This is based on Netflix’s numbers.

Also torrent downloaders would be affected.
Downloading http://thepiratebay.org/torrent/6354888/Whos.Nailin.Palin.2.XXX.720p.Bluray.x264-Jiggly (4.36 GB) would cost pirates one dollar.
Since AT&T only pays $.02 – $.05 per gigabyte of bandwidth, that dollar is nearly all profit to AT&T.

Perhaps what AT&T wants is more customers for it’s “U-verse” service, which provides video on demand. Yes, AT&T wants your entertainment dollar (before you spend it).
Remember AT&T has a monopoly on DSL (internet over telephone installations) in most areas. Since AT&T has a lawful monopoly, I tell you the government must act to keep data charges down to $.07 per gigabyte or less.

follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/bittersublime Thank you FDL.

Why is AT&T against net neutrality?
Just like Apple’s IPhone was married to AT&T, AT&T wants video on demand providers to partner with AT&T premium internet service. Internet small business will have to purchase AT&T services or be left in the slow lane.

Just like when I was a kid, I had a Schwinn with long pedals. I never lost a race. Small business that doesn’t get the fast lane to internet users, will never win a customer back.

Image by Matt Blaze

Does AT&T own the internet yet? No!

But thanks to TED, a multimedia conference dedicated to spreading ideas, AT&T spreads it’s doublespeak about internet deregulation. Right now, TED is pushing fearmongering ads about the internet for AT&T. Stay classy TED.

Here’s the Ad:

Investment in broadband high speed internet can help small businesses create new american jobs. ( sounds like how corn flakes saves me from colon cancer)
small businesses are being formed; dreams are being launched, and at AT&T, we’re investing billions- to upgrade and build out our wired and wireless networks. Now is not the time to stall momentum. Or stifle innovation or investment. Jobs, dreams and the future at stake. AT&T. Your world, delivered.

TL;DR= You can’t regulate us, If you do, you will kill jobs and put America Behind on internet.

Some of you know that Americans already are behind on the internet.
according to atelier-us.com

“U.S. broadband is thirty times slower than Japan’s. If American speeds keep growing as slowly as they are now, it will take the U.S. 100 years to reach Japan’s current level, according to the Communications Workers of America’s second annual Speed Matters survey.”

Ma Bell is (Editor’s Note: we don’t use that word at FDL), isn’t she? You could contact TED and tell them how sleazy they are: http://www.ted.com/contact

AT&T doesn’t stop there. AT&T astroturfed ADE, Alliance For Digital Equality.
ADE is a activist organization for solving the digital divide, the lack of computer literacy that afflicts minorities and the poor. Like an pale plutocratic hand in a minority sock puppet, ADE shills for deregulation of the internet.

According to the ADE sock puppet, Net Neutrality is the bad voodoo that is keeping jobs out away from our African and Hispanic brothers. From huffpost:

Increased regulations by the FCC will not create jobs nor will it lower the price of high-speed Internet for low income families. The bottom line is simple, Americans need jobs and investments in broadband technology can create them.

Fuck you. Is your real job pretending to care for the disadvantaged, or is it sucking AT&T dick?

REAL disadvantaged people can’t even afford AT&T services. The poor are moving to prepaid mobile phones as they can’t handle AT&T grilling them with long distance plans and wire maintenance plans and so on.
http://www.turn.org/article.php?list=type&type=150

Anyhow! I leave you with this obtuse connection. Mortaring a USB stick into a brick wall.
http://gizmodo.com/5677377/theres-a-usb-stick-in-my-brick-wall

Thx for reading! FUCK THE GIANT EVIL TELECOM CORPORATION!