There’s a meter on your ISP connection

What if your cable, DSL, or fiber optic internet provider decided to create some data tiers and set some arbitrary caps?  Well, be sure and check out the latest news on the subject.

How would this affect you?  I know in my case, there could be a dramatic change in my lifestyle, but I haven’t assessed the overall impact.  For instance, if it got so cost prohibitive to run a home office environment, would I start commuting to a central office location again?  What are the upsides?  What are the downsides?

I’m pretty sure even with the added cost of internet access, it’s still going to be more cost effective, and better for the planet for me to use a home office setting for the work I do.  I used to be the typical commuter when I first moved to the Dallas area.  I’d put 18,000 – 20,000 miles per year on a vehicle.  In March of 2007 I sold my Infiniti G35 Coupe and purchased a Honda CIVIC Coupe.  My Civic just turned over 11,000 miles.  Run those numbers in your head or on paper. 

In my case, it’s going to take a huge shift in cost to force me to start commuting again.  I’d rather commute for other reasons.  For instance, doing daily presentations in the Las Colinas MTC.  That would be a good reason. 

But to get this back on track for the original topic, how much data do you use per month?  What if you were capped at 100GB?  How would this affect streaming video, or gaming, or downloading big virtual machines?

I think the trials some of the cable companies are trying are going to upset a lot of customers.  How is it going to look if those companies jack up the rates, then announce record profits a few quarters later?  It’s going to look just like the petroleum companies and their earnings when we hit $4.00 per gallon.  I guess we’ll have to wait and see.