Internet gouging

I have more internet bandwidth than I know what to do with. My broadband internet connection for home gives me unlimited data. If I combine the data from my mobile phone plan, I never need to worry about going over my monthly data allowance.

I still recall my first internet plan back in the late 1990s, when I would dial into a connection on my telephone line. The best internet speed I could get was 56Kbps, which was fine for downloading a file, but it was next to useless if I wanted to stream music or download a video.

I first got broadband internet around 2005, which offered a higher volume of data faster by using an ADSL connection. Though I didn't have to turn my internet connection on and off, I did have to be careful about the data I used. The data included in my monthly plan was small, and the cost for exceeding my data limit was astronomical.

The internet service providers had worked out how much someone was prepared to pay for a connection, and $50 a month seemed to be the sweet spot. They would throttle down the available data at that price point and tempt you to a higher data plan for extra money.

So now, with video and other streaming services, my data needs have increased significantly, and it is directly beneficial to have as much data as I can consume. However, the internet service providers now use the speed at which they deliver the data as their lever to push users to a higher plan.

I like to have a fast internet connection, so I pay the premium for it. As a result, not much has changed for how internet service providers gouge more out of their customers.