So much for Net Neutrality….
A Dutch ISP called UPC has decided that it will severely restrict access to anything that doesn’t use the HTTP protocol for 12 hours a day. Oh yeah, if there’s a website out there that uses too much bandwidth (YouTube I suspect would be on the list) it will also be restricted. Why are they doing this? I’ll let them explain:
“We want to prevent the excessive internet usage by a very low number of customers – approximately one per cent – causing congestion for the other 99 per cent,” the spokeswoman said
In short, these twits figure that they need to screw over their entire user base to manage one percent of their users. Sound familiar? Suddenly, the antics of ISPs such as Bell, Rogers and Comcast don’t seem that bad given that even those three aren’t stupid enough to consider trying something so draconian as this (although they may yet prove me wrong given their respective track records).
In the meantime, might I suggest that UPC fold up shop and leave the business of providing Internet access to those who have more of a clue than they do?