What Does the Failure of Broadband Price Gouging Mean to the Rest of Us?

I came across an interesting article on failed internet connection price gouging by Time Warner Cable that falls in line with what SunPop blogged about months ago (Internet Metering predictions). It's a pretty heartwarming story. Here's a quote:

Free Press had already rallied its troops to petition Congress over the matter, and campaign director Timothy Karr was enthusiastic about TWC's decision. "We're glad to see Time Warner Cable's price-gouging scheme collapse in the face of consumer opposition," he said. "Let this be a lesson to other Internet service providers looking to head down a similar path. Consumers are not going to stand idly by as companies try to squeeze them off the Internet. This is a major victory, but the fight for a fast, open and affordable Internet is far from over."

Long story short, Time Warner announced plans to cap bandwidth usage for customers in a test market while still charging more money than many people pay for uncapped plans. The public's reaction was unmistakable outrage, to the point where they caught the ear of heavy hitters in the United States House and Senate. Time Warner eventually backed down, defeated but unremorseful, explaining that they still think their plan is a good one but the public obviously needs to be further educated.

Why write about this in SunPop's Blog? Simple. it's yet one more illustration that there has been a sea change in America, and people both expect and demand affordable / speedy connections that let them do what they want to online.  As sites like Hulu.com continue to make watching video content on your computer more popular among the mainstream (and more profitable for content providers), ubitiquous online video is here to stay. There's no turning back.  Even media giants like Time Warner Cable are learning to accept high-bandwidth and highly engaged internet usage (like online video). 

People can either try to push back the tide or start making money selling swimming trunks.

TheStreet.com Cites SunPop: Why Your Business Needs Web Videos

Steve Cooper discusses the rising need for quality website videos, citing myself and two other experts in his four page article. It's absolutely worth the read if you're interested. I was particularly tickled by the first statistic, indicating that the website video industry is expected to nearly quadruple its earnings in the next four years. This enormous growth is itself compelling news for business owners, as Edward Royce says, it's time to get serious about web video "because competitors are going to do it." The article also reiterates the same point I've been making for years: a lot of people claim to be a production studio, pointing to their cameras and computers as evidence, but none of that matters to you and your potential customers if they use mediocre techniques to make impotent videos. So check the article out if you want to get a better sense of where Web Videos are right now and where they're going, as well as gaining some insights into the process.