What effect does very heavy usage by some customers have on other customers of broadband services? What are marketers of these services doing to counter the effect of heavy users?
Most companies want customers to be heavy users of its products or services. When it comes to the Internet and wireless broadband services, however, that’s not necessarily the case. Internet providers, such as Comcast, may block or slow down Internet traffic for some heavy users, such as those who watch a lot of videos on YouTube. In 2009, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) banned Comcast from blocking video file sharing; this ban was overturned in 2010 by a court ruling that the FCC does not have authority to enforce its “network neutrality” rules. Google, once a champion for unfettered Internet access for all, is changing its tune now that it can profit from favoring some customers over others in the burgeoning wireless broadband arena. Google and Verizon have teamed up to lobby for laws that allow them to favor some Web services over others.