June 3rd, 2008
by
Brett Bumeter
Just last week I signed up for Time-Warner Internet access looking to drop at&t DSL which was not performing and because I have a decade long dispute with at&t after they stole $1000 from me in 2000, by slamming me into a $2 a minute long distance calling plan for a month without telling me, but I digress.
Time-Warner wants to limit the amount of video people watch and share on the internet.
The goal is to limit average data usage, allowing Time-Warner to get more customers into their existing fiber infrastructure. Since there is little or no competition for Internet connectivity, they don’t have to worry so much about losing customers.
The entire model lies in stark contrast to the competitive markets set up in South Korea and elsewhere, and it’s going to hurt innovation in the U.S. Many new startups, particularly those focused on video and online gaming, rely on their customers having access to high bandwidth, all you can eat connections.
Going Medieval: Time-Warner Begins Metered Bandwidth Testing -
That’s not very surprising for two basic reasons.
1. Time Warner wants to charge as much extra money for usage as possible
2. Time Warner also owns a lot of movies and if people start sharing their TV and movie content online, Time-Warner wants a share of the pie if they can get it.
So it looks like if this metered system actually makes it from its current testing location in Texas all the way to North Carolina, I will drop Time Warner like a cold fish and they can go back to making money off of luxury vacations tour packages when people visit their theme parks.
I’ll be sure to miss those as well!
April 27th, 2008
by
Brett Bumeter
This week I traveled to Nevada to cover some events at the Laughlin River Run. This is a biker rally and I was here to cover concerts and the overall event itself.
This trip unlike many of my other trips, I was finally prepared for the internet with an Air Card. That was a good thing as the hotel wireless (like so many) was crap.
To be more specific it was crap on our floor. After the fact, we were able to get a refund on the wireless access fee (other bloggers bought in not myself). It was at this point that the IT guy told us that our floor didn’t have wireless coverage.
That would have been useful information before we checked in!
So going forward, whenever I’m not packing a air card or have a large amount of data to push and need to use the condo hotel or even rv park system, which happens when uploading large videos. I’m going to call the hotel and ask to speak with the IT people first before I check in and then request the optimum floors of coverage from the front desk when I get there.
Now as these battles with hotels go, I suspect that they will try and find some other way to defeat my efforts to get work done, but its one more tool to add to my bag of tricks.
March 22nd, 2007
by
Brett Bumeter
Many engineers and technologists have flockd to the research triangle of North Carolina moving to areas such as Charlotte and Raleigh and even looking at Cary NC Real Estate options.
The warm weather, mountains, lakes and rapidly improving education system are making for a ripe place for people to settle. In fact I’m moving there myself in just a few months. For me I’m moving there so that I can write by the lake in Gastonia North Carolina. Maybe you too will find that perfect setting to work wirelessly during your telecomute into the office. 
