Congressman Unveils Bill to Fight ISP Caps

If you thought that the debacle over ISP net caps was just starting to boil, then you'll be even more surprised to hear that the issue has now landed on the front doors of Congress.

New York Congressman Eric Massa (D-NY) promised that he would put forth a bill called the "Broadband Internet Fairness Act" that would "prevent job killing broadband internet downloading caps," said Massa.

Time Warner Cabe is at the forefront of this heated issue. Because of a roll-out in New York state, many customers in the area have already canceled their TWC accounts and moved onto other services. 

According to Massa:

"Time Warner has announced an ill-conceived plan to charge residential and business broadband fees based on the amount of data they download. They have yet to explain how increased internet usage increases their costs."

While Massa is all for business profits, he is against TWC and others like it, especially in areas where the ISP holds a monopoly position.

"Time Warner's decision has the potential to more than triple customers' current rates and I think most families will find this to be too taxing to afford. Time Warner believes they can do this in Rochester NY, Greensboro NC, Austin TX and San Antonio TX, and it's almost certainly just a matter of time before they attempt to overcharge all of their customers. And while I favor a business's right to maximize their profit potential, I believe safeguards must be put in place when a business has a monopoly on a specific region," said Massa.

TWC, AT&T and Comcast and other ISPs are the target of the new bill.

Massa's page on the issue stats:

"In addition to this excessive and disproportionate charge, as internet usage increases by an average of 50% per year, companies setting caps sets a horrible, long-term, precedent. At a time when Americans need to utilize all available assets to improve the economy, limiting internet usage, which this plan would do, handicaps our ability to compete on the global stage. Furthermore, it will have significant stifling effects on start ups and small businesses."