Charging by the minute to use the internet

In our place we have different types of packages. The one I'm using is a unlimted package. There are also packages where they offer you like 20hrs & after that they charge you by the minute, something like that.

I guess the problem is that some users hog the bandwidth, but going back to charging by the minute is completely unacceptable to me, and I am sure it would be to a whole lot of others as well. If they do it, I am sure someone will find a way around it.

That would be the very worst thing for me. I have the internet on from around 3:30 in the morning until around 8pm at night or later, then you have four kids and my husband. No thank you. I have internet with AT&T, formerly BellSouth and I do not plan to leave. I have looked at other plans that they can't match what I have for what I pay.

This is just a new way they have found to over-charge us for things that we have come to depend on. I can make it without a cell phone, but I would be completely lost without my interent service.

I first heard this "news" a couple of years ago. It didn't happen then and I doubt that it ever will. Actually, it sounds like something the cable companies would like people to believe so that they can get more customers for their online services LOL

Oh my god. I would say that internet is my 2nd life, and I need to use it every day and every hour, for work, studies and entertainment!! I love having unlimited internet quota but not charging by minute usage!! i am strongly against it.

I think this is terrible! Just another way to get more money out of a dry turnip..sorry for the saying it is silly I know. It seems like we are being told how much we can surf and stay on others wise we pay the conquences if we use more then they set up for us. I for one think it is a really stupid idea and it is just more ways to get money out of us. I have friends and family who leave theirs on(I don't) but I guess that will cut down on alot of things and especially downloading and leaving pc on while you do it. it is a shame.

I wonder if that's a regional thing? I haven't heard that one. It sounds similar to AOL's old dial up service, where you had to pay by the minute (and the overages--I remember getting several $400 bills because my ex loved being online!) I hope not--I live for broadband (even though my company is gouging me again!)

Darlene I can not see it happening with out a major revolt. My computer here at home is left on always unless there is a storm in the area. Another thing is that our shop computers are left on because of work related things. Many companies must leave computers left on. I have my DSL through my telephone company, phone service and DSL comes to 72.00 a month not including long distance. I have the cheapest package offered.

Oh, I hope not! I won't be able to get online too much. We use the Internet night and day around here, especially to watch TV shows and Movies online.

I read somewhere here on mylot that the big internet ISP were going to "revert" to plans of payment by the minute. Like they used to with dial up - free service and 10 hours a month or you could pay for more hours. Something between Microsoft and whoever it is, to start charging for internet access that is now free, we just pay for the ISP. They want us to pay for the ISP and then will have a minimual package of free minutes and ou buy more as you want or need. I think that sucks and no one is going to like it, but thing is "he who has the gold makes the rules" and since the ISP's don't "own" the internet, those that do will start charging. 4 years from now is the supposed date to start. Like the saying goes, nothing stays good for ever. And they can do it and get their money as this country - this world - is internet dependent. They got us by the throats! THey'd do what they want to pad their pockets and not a single thing we can do about it.! Unless the govt steps in and says it is not allowable or it is TV and newspapers!

Dial-up through sasktel is setup in a similar manner. I get a set number of hours (theres a variety of bundles to choose from) and if i go over the 180 hours a month they charge 1.50 an hour extra. I only went over once. It works out to be 6 hours/day i can use and who wants to tie up their phone line 24/7.

I find this discussion very interesting for I am a Comcast user so I would be one of the customers effected by this going over the time and getting charged extra. I must say this is the first time of me hearing about this and haven't recieved anything in the mail or e-mail containing this. I think in the morning I will give Comcast a call about this and see if it is going to effect me for I don't want to have to pay more than I already am and just might have to limit my time on the computer if this statement is yet true. Thanks for informing us on this.

if it happened people might actually start going outside again. Imagine kids playing in the neighborhood rather than being on the computer. Imagine also how costly this would be for schools and tax-payers. Are they going to make schools exempt? Colleges? Lot of problems with this.

I hope this does not come about. I have a cell phone and I keep it off except after six and on the weekends when it is free. Now imagine everyone not using the internet except when it is free and not only that, they will charge the regular internet connection fee. It is just a way to make money. Oh and only the rich people will use the internet. It is getting back to the day when the only way you got a good deal on the internet was if you were in university or owned a big business. You would not want to tell us what companies they are, would you?

I believe people are too used to just popping on and off the internet all day as they like. Watching minutes, doesn't seem likely to work. AOL used to do that back when they started.

I would say that I'm not surprised that someone has thought of doing that, but I don't think it will go very well for companies that try it. People will get really mad. Internet should be like cable. You pay your cable bill the same amount every month, no matter how many hours of television you watched. Internet should be no different. You should pay for the access, not your amount of activity. I think it would end up averaging out anyway and these companies might even end up shooting themselves in the foot because people would try to limit their internet usage as much as possible to reduce their bill. What are they gonna do next, start charging for cable use by the minute?

I had heard that one or two companies were going to test out something like this, I had thought they were either going to charge by the hour, (like in the "old days" lol), or according to bandwidth. But, it's entirely possible that several companies are trying out different sorts of options. I guess it was inevitable, once they saw how much people use the internet, that they would try to figure out the best way to get even more money out of us. They just wanted to wait until we are relying on the internet before they did it. It's too bad, because right now the internet is a very economical source of entertainment. I can surf online, watch all kinds of stuff, chat with friends, etc. without paying for gas or any other costs associated wtih going out. So of course they are going to find a way to make me pay more!

I agree desertdarlene! We pay way too much too! Amount that started was only $19.99 per month, turns out to be $47.00 per month now (without taxes etc). The main reason we changed, was to get faster service.... hate the dial up in our area! We also changed our phone service, and the more services you have with a company, you would think the company would want to keep you, instead of upping your fees. Looks like we are searching again! If anyone knows of good deals out there, please let us know. Thanks!

i dont know about this but would like to get more about it