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Time Warner customers plan protest of data caps

Thursday, April 16, 2009

(Updated 7:32 am)

By Joe Killian
Staff Writer

GREENSBORO — Time Warner Cable customers will protest the company’s new caps on Internet data use outside the company’s Spring Garden Street office Saturday.

The protest, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 1813 Spring Garden St., is planned for the same time as a demonstration in the also-affected market of Rochester, N.Y.

The effort is being organized largely on the Internet. Pages for the event were created Tuesday on Facebook and Craigslist, with more than 300 people invited and invitations being forwarded by e-mail, on blogs and social networks.

Earlier this month, Time Warner announced it would test metered usage plans in the Triad; Rochester; and the Texas cities of Austin and San Antonio. Under the new system, customers would choose Internet usage plans that cap uploads and downloads at 10, 20, 40, and 60 gigabytes. Customers would pay $1 per GB in overage fees if they go over their caps.

The announcement was met with outrage from customers and threats from local and state government to bring in competition and block the move through legislation. In reaction, Time Warner postponed its tests in Austin and San Antonio.

For the Triad and Rochester, the company announced two additional tiers, including a “budget” tier allowing 1 GB of data use per month for just $15 and a “super-tier” allowing up to 100 GB of data use for $75. The company also said it would limit overage fees to no more than $75, essentially creating an “unlimited” plan for those willing to pay the fees.

Many Triad customers are still angry about the plan, saying that Time Warner has a virtual monopoly on high-speed cable Internet in the area and is capping data use to discourage competition.

“They’re a cable company first and an Internet provider second,” said Jonathan Hall, the UNCG senior who is organizing the rally. “Capping data is an effort to stay the tide of video on demand on the Internet. It’s an effort to keep people from using things like YouTube, Hulu and Netflix.”

Customers have contacted city leaders, state representatives and their congressmen. Other customers have filed complaints with the Better Business Bureau and contacted the attorney general’s office.

Melissa Buscher, director of media relations for Time Warner Cable’s Carolinas region, said the company is listening.

“They don’t have to protest to get our attention,” Buscher said. “What we’re doing is a test and this is an ongoing conversation. That’s why we’ve already added two more tiers to the plan. We don’t want to do anything that’s going to jeopardize our relationship with our customers.”

Some customers on the Net say it’s too late for that. They’ve taken to their blogs to criticize not only the specifics of the plan, but the philosophy behind it.

Hall points to the company’s plan to continue offering a flat rate to subscribers of Time Warner’s digital phone service, but count data used by other Internet phone services such as Vonage and Skype toward the data caps.

“It just shows that what this is really about is protecting themselves from competition,” Hall said. “It’s moving away from the neutral Net that we’ve all come to know, that helps people learn and do business and create new things.”

Nonviolence is being stressed on the protest’s Facebook page, which provides links to information on the data caps. Hall said he’s confident people can express their anger over the change without getting out of hand. More than 100 people RSVPed on the protest’s Facebook page by Thursday morning, but Hall said he’s not sure how many to expect Saturday.

“There are a lot of people who are upset about this,” Hall said. “And with social networking, there can be a big snowball effect.”

Contact Joe Killian at 373-7023 or joe.killian@news-record.com

Pricing change delayed in Texas

Customer complaints lead Time Warner to delay meter program in San Antonio, Austin: http://tinyurl.com/cnfaho

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MackBrown

April 15, 2009 - 10:13 am EDT

Have been following this story for some time. Read the comment on previous an earlier story. Ask yourselfs this: Why would the state, feds or local goverment help, this will only provide a new tax base. Just look at all the new student housing going up without the infastructure to support over 4000 toilets and showers. Can you imagine how many GB's each student will be using.

scottb

April 15, 2009 - 10:36 am EDT

@MackBrown,

What's the "new tax base" you refer to? Do you mean higher corporate tax paid due to higher profits? Regarding student use of Inernet--that's a good reason NOT to raise the rates.

poe_diddley

April 16, 2009 - 6:49 am EDT

agreed. overcharging for what students already can't afford is not going to help anyone, especially the students or their parents who will end up footing a lot of the bills. The internet is supposed to open new horizons, not fatten the pockets of providers who hike rates every chance they get and nickel and dime their customers for every gigabyte they use. It's a step backwards, regardless of whatever their PR people say.

LaborMan

April 15, 2009 - 11:36 am EDT

I came across this article from USA today and with local Time Warner increasing it’s rates for BROADBAND users I am curious to know if anyone else has saw the conflict it may be causing. The stimulus bill is clear as reported however Time Warner seems to be avoiding the issue getting stimulus funds plus making customers pay more for services. Could they be “Double-dipping”?

BROADBAND: Help for rural areas

Find this article at:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2009-02-12-stimulus-package-effect...

How will the $787 billion stimulus package affect you?
BROADBAND: Help for rural areas
The stimulus bill includes $7 billion for broadband deployment in rural markets across the USA.
That high-speed Internet access is counted as "infrastructure" is illuminating in itself, says Gene Kimmelman of Consumers Union.
Under the Bush administration, broadband service was treated as a luxury, he says. The Obama-backed stimulus package, in contrast, "treats Internet communications as an essential service, just like our highways," Kimmelman says.
With that baseline established, Kimmelman says, he expects major public policy shifts to follow, with the goal of making broadband available and affordable to all Americans. Though final language is still being worked out, the $7 billion plan offers "grants," or funding, to companies willing to deploy broadband — wireless or wired — in "underserved" or "unserved" markets.
But there are regulatory strings attached, notes Paul Glenchur of Stanford Group in Washington, D.C.
Companies must offer broadband services in a "non-discriminatory" fashion. That's code for "open access," a politically charged notion that says carriers must treat all Internet services the same.
Likewise, trying to define "underserved" or "unserved" markets could prove challenging, he says.
Why: Satellite-based Internet services already are available in most rural markets. Phone and cable TV companies have also spent billions deploying broadband in hundreds of markets, including rural areas.
The government's plan to essentially subsidize competition in these areas through a grant program "raises a basic question of fairness," Glenchur says.
Kimmelman disagrees. Satellite-based broadband costs around $90 a month, he says, putting it out of reach of many consumers.
By Leslie Cauley

uncwgm

April 15, 2009 - 3:09 pm EDT

An especially anti-competitive reason why TWC wants these ridiculously low data caps:

From their recently filed 10-K report:

"Technological advancements, such as video on demand, new video formats and Internet streaming and downloading, have increased the number of media and entertainment choices available to consumers and intensified the challenges posed by audience fragmentation.

The increasing number of choices available to audiences could negatively impact not only consumer demand for the Company’s products and services, but also advertisers’ willingness to purchase advertising from the Company’s businesses.

If the Company does not respond appropriately to further increases in the leisure and entertainment choices available to consumers, the Company’s competitive position could deteriorate, and its financial results could suffer."

Full Document Here:

http://ir.timewarner.com/secfiling.cfm?filingID=950144-09-1481

sandykync

April 15, 2009 - 6:17 pm EDT

The protest is great But!! why spring garden st?? The people you want to talk to is at Regional road office that where they all work. I use to work there, But they arent there on the weekend are you kinding me, one of the big wigs Work on a weekend. Ha So, I suggest you protest during the week at regional rd, between 8 and 5 if you want to get there attention.

poe_diddley

April 16, 2009 - 6:18 am EDT

Our Mayor needs to get on the ball and find us some competition for this area, because there really is none. If we did have other options, I doubt very seriously that Time Warner would even consider using us as guinea pigs for this financially draining test. I will absolutely cut off my Roadrunner service as soon as this nonsense begins, I don't care what I have to use instead. It is a step backwards in the evolution of the internet, only TWC is masking it as something else. How would this benefit anyone BUT them? We will end up paying more for the exact same service. The speeds will not improve in the least bit for the end user, we'll just fatten TWC's pockets a little more. The US is behind the rest of the world when it comes to broadband service-do some research and you will find this is true. We have overall slower speeds and pay more for it. This plan of TWC's will only make it worse. Congratulations Time Warner, for discouraging new technology business-you are insuring that small companies and the little guy will suffer and you will get richer.

AnonAnon

April 16, 2009 - 6:37 am EDT

Dear possible protesters. Normally, we prefer to stay out of issues that don't relate to Project Chanology, but we would like to issue a safety warning to any person or persons going to picket over the Data Caps. On Saturday, from 1pm to 5pm, the group known as Anonymous will be protesting in front of the Greensboro Cult of Scientology, located at 230 North Spring Street.

One of the (many) things we will be protesting is a policy that Scientologists STRICTLY enforce is "Fair Game".

The order, found here, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_Game_(Scientology)

states:

ENEMY — SP Order. Fair game. May be deprived of property or injured by any means by any Scientologist without any discipline of the Scientologist. May be tricked, sued or lied to or destroyed.

An SP is a Suppressive Person, or a critic of Scientology. This policy, enacted by creator L. Ron Hubbard, gives permission to any Scientologist to do....whatever they'd like to critics or SPs, without any risk of penalty or trouble.

What this means is that anyone associated with Critics face the full wrath of Fair Game. Out of our concern with these conflicting protests is that some of your protesters may, accidentally, get caught in our backwash. Anonymous is prepared to deal with Fair Game. Anonymous is taking the risk of our own personal safety for the good of informing citizens and trying to bring Scientology to justice for their evil deeds. If possible, please avoid 230 North Spring Street during the times of 1pm to 5pm, out of the fear that you may get lumped in with us (carrying signs, the Scientologists may not attempt to draw a distinction...)

Of course, anyone willing to hear what we have to say, or would like to learn more about Scientology is MORE than welcome to come join us. We will have signs, fliers, and best of all, CAEK!

To learn more, I'll add some links. We, unlike Scientology, would like you to research Scientology and learn all about it, but not directly from the source. Thank you.
Anonymous.

http://www.Xenu.net
http://www.WhyWeProtest.net
http://www.NCanon.Ning.Com

poe_diddley

April 16, 2009 - 6:44 am EDT

the above comment about whatever scientology nonsense needs to be deleted immediately, since it is WAY off topic, and is basically thread jacking.
ADMIN PLEASE DELETE AnonAnon

AnonAnon

April 16, 2009 - 6:51 am EDT

How is a post about another protest in the area "way off topic"? If you'd like me to redact it, I will. It's validity still stands though. I enjoyed the "whatever Scientology nonsense" part though. Gave me an early chuckle.

whatnow

April 16, 2009 - 10:01 am EDT

I totally agree. Scientology has nothing to do with the TWC comments and protest. If you want to promote your religion, take it to a different forum.

weatherwithyou33

April 16, 2009 - 11:05 am EDT

I think AnonAnon could have actually been trying to be helpful in telling you that there will be another protest on the same street. One that, from the sounds of things, may turn aggressive. Although if Anon looked he would see that these two locations are really nowhere near each other (about 1.5 miles away) which leads me to believe he was just trying to get information out about his group's protest. I think we could delete everything about the first paragraph and it would be somewhat on topic. Also I think they are against Crazytology not supporters of it.

Anyhow, while I think this protest is a good way to help get the message out, I think we need to also let the other service provider companies know that we want their service here in the Triad. Verizon Fios, AT&T Uverse and Comcast all have fiber or cable service that we would benefit from. From what I've read AT&T is the closest to bringing their service here and I would suggest calling AT&T (or any of these companies - I'm not associated with AT&T or any others) and letting them know you want their service as an option in this market. We speak loudest with our money and if we have another choice we can take our money elsewhere.

AnonAnon

April 16, 2009 - 8:02 pm EDT

Yes, Weatherwithyou33 got it right on the head. I was only informing you guys that a local protest that has had risque actions in the past on the side of the Scientologists would be going on and we wanted to warn you in case some had to come that way. I'm too used to writing tl;dr blurbs and information packets for this, it often gets to be lengthy. I can't just say "Scientology attacks people" without documented proof or it's slander. My apologies.

And congratulations. I read that Time Warner is shelving it's cap plan. Good job on this. All it takes is an idea and people willing to see it through. No organization or corporation is big enough to be able to forget the little guy.

atticusfinch

April 16, 2009 - 9:28 am EDT

Howard Coble is everywhere in his district whenever there is an event. He has the best constituent service in the House. Where is he now that we really need him?

mattbrown1977

April 16, 2009 - 11:41 am EDT

I emailed Mr. Coble's office about the TWC issue last week and urged him to work with Congressman Massa from NY on the issue. His office never got back to me. I have no idea where he stands on issue. In the past he has been a big proponent of deregulation so I am not sure he would be on board with regulating the broadband services. In any case I have no idea what his stance is because nobody ever bothered to respond to my email.

entre

April 16, 2009 - 3:29 pm EDT

Time Warner's re-education process, for telling its customers the benefits of metered billing, is too late for me. I turned in my Time Warner Cable DOCSIS modem yesterday and kept my receipt for it just in case they forget!