Globe moves to cap Internet data volume

[_Qwerty_]

First it was Skycable Broadband with their 5mbps - 15GB a month limit.. now it's globe's turn.. will PLDT follow??

http://newsbytes.ph/2011/04/04/globe...t-data-volume/

[SIZE=4]Globe moves to cap Internet data volume[/SIZE]
Posted on 04 Apr 2011 at 2:15pm

Without any law to prevent its adoption, Ayala-led telco Globe Telecom has decided to invoke the “fair use” doctrine in imposing a reported data limit on the Internet subscription of its customer as a way to curb unrestrained use of just a few broadband users.

Globe’s move, first reported by the Philippine Daily Inquirer, was contained in a press statement issued by the company over the weekend.

The data volume limit, according to the Inquirer, “would affect only users who download data in excess of 1 gigabyte a day.”

By adopting a “fair use” policy, Globe said it can “promote a more responsible way of using the Internet that will ensure fair and optimum usage of its broadband services across all subscribers.”

In a recent analysis, Globe said only 5 percent use 80 percent of the available broadband network bandwidth, leaving only 20 percent of the capacity to be shared by 95 percent of the remaining users.

The issue on data volume capping remains a contentious topic in the industry, with local telcos pushing the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to impose it as a formal regulatory rule.

The agency, however, has already announced that it will not include any provision on data capping on a circular it is currently drafting on the minimum broadband speed in the country.

This is not the first time, however, that a broadband provider has adopted a data usage ceiling. San Miguel-owned Liberty Telecoms, which operates wi-tribe, has been offering WiMax services that have data limits. Lopez-owned firm SkyCable, through its broadband service unit, also recently rolled out a 5-Mbps Internet offering with 15-GB threshold.

Saying network bandwidth is a finite resource, Globe said “it is necessary to adopt a policy that promotes responsible and fair use of the Internet to prevent abuse and misuse of services from a relatively smaller group of consumers.”

“Moreover, the policy aims to preserve the quality of resources in order to provide subscribers with seamless, uninterrupted, and reliable internet connections,” it added. “This also ensures consistency and reliability of connection for use of the greater majority of broadband subscribers.”

Globe cited study done by Envisional which showed that close to 36 percent of ******* downloads was ****ography and another 48 percent was movies and television shows.

The study further claimed that 23.8 percent of global Internet traffic is piracy-related and nearly one-quarter of the traffic on the Internet involves the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted materials such as movies, TV shows, music, and video games.

“These activities, apart from being unsecured, also utilize a significant amount of broadband network data which prohibits other subscribers to enjoy the same quality of Internet connection,” the company said.

In the statement, Globe said it has partnered with a parenting group MLAC Institute for Children and Families to educate parents on how to guide their children on the proper use of Internet and computers.

“Because it is our responsibility to provide our subscribers with quality Internet services, we are doing all we can to teach our broadband users how to properly use the internet,” stated Jurist Gamban, head of globe fixed broadband business.

Gamban added, “Through this forum, we are actively involving the parents in guiding their children when they access the World Wide Web. We are concerned about how children are exposed to various Internet activities, from downloads, playing games, to watching videos and doing social networking and chatting.

Without restrictions, the Internet can be a source of information not suited for children, or worse, might pose risks that will threaten their minds and own security, Gamban said.

[Monseratto]

Noooo.... guiilty ako dito!!! Mag OpenVPN na tayo.

Globe cited study done by Envisional which showed that close to 36 percent of ******* downloads was ****ography and another 48 percent was movies and television shows.

The study further claimed that 23.8 percent of global Internet traffic is piracy-related and nearly one-quarter of the traffic on the Internet involves the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted materials such as movies, TV shows, music, and video games.

[tidus1203]

Even PLDT IMO has a silent cap. Naka PLDT DSL kami and pansin ko lang is after subsequent ******* downloads biglang mawawalan ng Internet for hours...

[impulzz]

yung sa sky, its an option for now. i'm using 1.5mbps unlimited for 999/month... but you can switch to 5mbps 15GB at 999/month.

[number001]

Its just another lame excuse to increase their profitability by taking that fake moral high ground route by feigning a false sense of moral authority in this matter. Like they really care what people do or download online. As if these telcos owners/employees, don't do anything differently in their personal internet use compared to the rest of the population.

In the Philippines, we pay a higher rate for internet services that are not even 10% of the speed of what other countries offer like in Hong Kong. In HK, the internet is so fast that downloading terabytes per month is possible. And no bandwidth capping is involved.

If they want to cap the bandwidth then they better improve their service (if it exists) and ante up the bandwidth speed, commensurate to what the consumers are paying these telecos. NTC (another lame duck gov't org.) should look into this matter, if ite even fair in the consumer's interest.

[roninblade]

sus, andami binibigay na reason eh... isa lang naman talaga dahilan nyan... more money.

[digitalron]

Sure there are *******s and piracy and the lot...

But what about the legitimate users who rely on the Internet for research work? Or those that use VoIP? Or even Video-conferencing? What about those who access legal content heavily, such as podcasts, streamcasts, and the like? What about those subscribed to services like Steam? Or those who use the cloud for their entertainment (such as Amazon Cloud, Netflix, and the like?) What about those who do regular patching and updates of their Operating Systems and other applications?

Talk about blocking the progress of online commerce and innovation.

I also agree with the post of number001 above, where we can have some sort of capping set, but the QoS should be improved significantly with corresponding infrastructure and service upgrades.

Instead of putting data caps, I would suggest other alternatives such as:

- Speed caps for exceeding certain data thresholds, a reasonable amount being 20 GB a day on average (a few movies purchased off the web for instance); the service is not cut off, but there is a decrease in the speed when the threshold is breached (where the threshold can depend on the plan).

- Tiered speeds or Quality of Service (QoS) depending on traffic type; this requires a bit of more work but is not impossible. Here, *******-like traffic may be throttled at a lower rate, while valid traffic like HTTP requests, email, VoIP, and commercial streams are left as is.

This post reminds me of a recent article I came across in Ars Technica:
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/n...-the-world.ars

It's really a worldwide problem as the slimy ISPs try to find ways to increase their profit without making the requisite investments in service upgrades.

Oh well... sharks after more blood...
:shark:

[CVT]

Maraming dahilan,- Sa kahulihan,- mas malaking tubo lang ang gustong makamtan....

12.7K:fart1:

[ecozone]

bayandsl kami at walang cap...

[shadow]

eh kung improve ba nila yun bandwidth eh di hinde matagal nakababad mag DL.. hehehe

excuse lang nila para hinde na nila gumastos mag mag upgrade ng mga netwrok nila.