Shaw puts brakes on usage-based web bills

Is there less Youtube videos if people download too many of them some months?

Originally they were saying that their usage billing was just passing on the costs imposed on them by the CRTC decision about how Bell charges them. Now they are saying it's completely unrelated and only coincidence.

Either way they're asking for input. I hope they get tonnes of it.

I suspect it'll only be input from their echo chamber.

The more I consume, the more I buy in bulk, and the cheaper the store is I go to if I need a lot of quantity. I don't have that choice with internet providers.

Shaw gets to keep my business, for a little while longer at least.

Shaw has plans that throttle your speed. They have "High Speed Lite" (1Mbps), "High Speed" (7.5Mbps), "Extreme" (15Mbps), "Nitro" (100Mbps). Each of those has always had a cap of how much you could download. In the past they would send you a threatening letter for two months in a row of going over the cap, then disconnect you for a third month of going over. So you only had to "watch what you download" every three months. Now they're looking for a way to force you to upgrade your plan to the more expensive ones. So they give you a faster connection, then penalize you for actually using it.

Shaw has plans that throttle your speed. They have "High Speed Lite" (1Mbps), "High Speed" (7.5Mbps), "Extreme" (15Mbps), "Nitro" (100Mbps). Each of those has always had a cap of how much you could download. In the past they would send you a threatening letter for two months in a row of going over the cap, then disconnect you for a third month of going over. So you only had to "watch what you download" every three months. Now they're looking for a way to force you to upgrade your plan to the more expensive ones. So they give you a faster connection, then penalize you for actually using it.

Exercise your discretion as a consumer and go elsewhere then. No one put a gun to your head and said "Get Shaw now!"

Given the level of customer satisfaction I find it incredible that one of the big guys hasn't figured out a cunning plan to increase their market share at their competitors expense.

It seems to me that if one lowered their prices below the competitors and gave a very generous limit, they'd clean up on people switching.

Sort of like Mustangs vs Camaro's: Keep the price high and sell a few (Camaro) or set a low price and sell an effing million of 'em (Mustang).

Does the industry work like that?

Maybe...

BUY THIS SATELLITE

Maybe...

BUY THIS SATELLITE



Irrespective of the cute youtube video, I again say, take your business elsewhere valued customer or quit your bitchin'...

Actually, I took a good look at me Roger's bill last month. For $45/mo(before taxes of course) I've got 60GB per month with 10Mbps d/l speed and 256k u/l speed. (don't care about upload speed anyway)
With 3 of us connected, I just got my 3rd "warning" in 5 years about approaching my bandwidth limit. I d/l a lot of games. Our son d/ls a lot of games onto his PS3 and my wife likes to stream music videos.
So I guess I really can't complain.

Because of this, I actually called them up and 'upgraded' plans. I use quotes there, because the plan I've been on for so long has dropped in price, and the amount I pay bumps my up two levels. So they doubled my bandwidth, refunded the overpayment for the last 6 months and gave me the plan for 1/2 price for 6 months.

I still only get 5Mb/s of the 10Mb/s allowed, but I'm way out in the boonies so it's better than 14.4k Dialup.



And what do you do when there are no alternatives?

Because of this, I actually called them up and 'upgraded' plans. I use quotes there, because the plan I've been on for so long has dropped in price, and the amount I pay bumps my up two levels. So they doubled my bandwidth, refunded the overpayment for the last 6 months and gave me the plan for 1/2 price for 6 months.

I still only get 5Mb/s of the 10Mb/s allowed, but I'm way out in the boonies so it's better than 14.4k Dialup.



And what do you do when there are no alternatives?

Pay it or don't use it. Enough people do that, maybe prices will come down.

Ultimately, if I don't like paying BC Ferries outrageous fees, I stay on the Island. I don't like Air Canada, I don't fly them. Don't like Telus? I switch to Shaw.

At this point, internet is not a right - just like driving. Our world may rely on it more, but until someone determines that it is now a right in order to function in our world, we are paying customers that don't have to be.

Ha,in Finland (or something) it is a right, so Nato will soon make it a right, which means it will be a right in the whole world

Fresh water and 3 meals a day is not, but hey, who cares?

I actually like Shaw. Had them the whole time I was in BC. The three of us were heavy into online gaming, video streaming, music downloads, etc. We'd be up at 3am downloading songs as fast as our router would let us with the whole cable to ourselves. Never once did the household receive a letter complaining about over usage of total bandwidth or bandwidth speed.