One of the main tensions between high speed internet service providers and their customer base is the issue of charging customers based on the amount of data usage on the high speed internet connection. Previously, many internet service providers had just one fee for unlimited data usage on residential internet connections, but with the rise of many bandwidth intensive web applications, including delivery of high definition videos and online gaming, internet service providers have been stingier on the issue of unlimited bandwidth.

Unfortunately, Time Warner has expanded its data usage charge policy to several regions, including Rochester, New York. Many users are outraged with the change of policy, because for many avid internet users their internet bills will be going up. Time Warner is defending the change by stating that it will not impact most of its residential users.

I have monitored this situation for many years, and I am against, but not outraged, with such new changes. If you advertised your service as unlimited access, then you should at least in somewhat of a good ethical behavior stick to that policy in the long term. Time Warner changed its policy, because it precisely wanted to squeeze more profit during a tight economic climate.

Now, sympathizers to Time Warner’s policy will be pointing out that bandwidth hogs (Users who excessively use the connection) will finally be charged fairly out of the excessive usage. My reply would simply that everyone’s bandwidth usage will increase as a whole, because the amount of bandwidth that is demanded by critical internet applications has been increasing. The opponents would then reply, “Well, I just check my e-mail.” My response, “Get back to dial up, and you stop whining.”