"Will the Senate please ask ISPs to justify their wireless caps?"

(Article originally posted April 23rd, 2012)

"The Senate is investigating video competition during a hearing on Tuesday and public interest groups are using it as an opportunity to ask tough questions on broadband caps. Such caps, which are in place on over half of the wireline broadband connections in this country, are justified by the idea that they prevent folks from overusing shared broadband networks. However, most outsiders view such caps as a way for broadband providers to protect their existing pay TV products." (Click External Link for full article)

Update - April 24th, 2012 - The following is the link for the full 2 hour video on C-SPAN. "Several organizations, including Free Press, Consumers Union, New America Foundation and Public Knowledge, have asked the committee to look at data caps imposed by broadband Internet access providers, which they say discourage users from using high-bandwidth applications, like online video.

The hearing examined the effect that these new technologies have on the existing television and cable market and the business models that are growing the industry.

Barry Diller, chairman and senior executive at IAC, was one of the witnesses. He is an investor in Aereo, a start-up company that delivers broadcast television via the Internet for a monthly fee.

Additional witnesses included: Susan Whiting, vice chairman of The Nielsen Company; Paul Misener, vice president for global public policy at Amazon.com; and Blair Westlake, corporate vice president for Microsoft's Media and Entertainment Group."

(VIDEO) http://www.c-span.org/Events/Senate-Hearing-Examines-the-Future-of-Onlin...