Sometimes you actually feel like your vote matters … and within six months of my first vote cast anywhere but Massachusetts I have that feeling. New York representative Eric Massa has said he plans to introduce a bill that would invalidate the plans by broadband providers such as Time Warner, AT&T and Comcast to charge tiered pricing based on usage, according to a blog posting at Wired.

The plans, typified by the recent announcement of Time Warner Cable to bring the tiered prices to the Rochester NY area that got Massa’s attention, may reduce prices for a few but will raise them sharply for many users just as the tip of the broadband media iceberg is getting explored. There have been numerous articles written since capped internet service started being discussed that showed just how quickly legitimate usage such as buying video games via a download service such as Steam, getting game demos on your XBOX360, buying music and movies on iTunes or Amazon’s MP3 store, and watching streamed movies on Netflix could exceed 50GB per month. The impact of doubling the cost to obtain that service would be staggering.

From Eric Massa’s House Site:

“I am taking a leadership position on this issue because of all the phone calls, emails and faxes I’ve received from my district and all over the country,” said Congressman Eric Massa. “Time Warner has announced an ill-conceived plan to charge residential and business broadband fees based on the amount of data they download. They have yet to explain how increased internet usage increases their costs.”

Regarding Time Warner’s 4/9/09 statement, Rep. Massa had this to say:

“Time Warner’s decision has the potential to more than triple customers’ current rates and I think most families will find this to be too taxing to afford. Time Warner believes they can do this in Rochester NY, Greensboro NC, Austin TX and San Antonio TX, and it’s almost certainly just a matter of time before they attempt to overcharge all of their customers. And while I favor a business’s right to maximize their profit potential, I believe safeguards must be put in place when a business has a monopoly on a specific region.”

“At a time when millions of Americans have lost their jobs and businesses are struggling, I am compelled to fight against additional, unnecessary burdens placed on my constituents.”

Source: Wired Epicenter
Image courtesy of Albany Insanity blog.

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