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It seems that each passing day is one where I read a blog, or an
article about how our human rights are being taken away from us. Some
of these arguments really do cause me to take pause, whether it be the
legalized robbery of a failing airline industry, the rising prices of
video games and movies, or the more recent movement to exploit loopholes
in the FCC jurisdiction.
The exploitations that I am referring to are the FCC and their
efforts to continue the fight for net neutrality. They have already
lost a pinnacle battle in the courts and seem to be losing ground with
every trial. It's only a matter of time before the power is shifted
from the people and into the hands of major corporations. If the battle
for net neutrality is lost forever, we can all expect to see the same
form of robbery that we complain about every time we step foot into an
airport. The nickel and dime charges, the lack of support and quality
regulations, and the arbitrary fees for the smallest of details like
choosing an aisle seat.
Imagine a
world where you have to pay per Google search, or simply pay an
additional subscription fee to obtain that tier of internet access.
Imagine a world where downloads larger than 1MB will incur a bandwidth
handling fee, unless you option to purchase the $90/month unlimited plan
(5GB/month capped). Imagine an entire industry of online distribution
and game sales crumbling because the cable and internet providers want
to siphon a few extra dollars from customers who are already tired of
their antics. Remind yourself of how emotionally drained you are each
time you walk onto a car lot, or into a mobile phone store and are
overwhelmed with the constant babble of complex pricing schemes and
tiered upgrades. It sounds like something out of a science fiction
novel, where the bad guy has won, but it is not very far into our own
futures.
Lower quality services at a higher price seems to be a staple of
modern business practice. It maximizes profit, and exploits those
individuals who are willing to pay premium pricing for a service that
was standard less than a decade ago. Eventually, people accept the
lesser quality at a higher prices and, in less than 1 generation's time,
the corporations have trained the masses that it is the acceptable
treatment for their payment.
I've already expressed my distaste for overpriced games in past, but
if this continues to infest every other part of my life, from cable to
internet, and even my mobile devices, it just might be time to get off
the grid... I do enjoy all the luxuries of modern technology, but where
is the breaking point? Between mobile phone bills, cable, internet,
house phone, and other technical services, most people are likely paying
somewhere on average of $300 per month. In another decade, I could
easily see our "technology" bills rivaling the mortgage on our homes.
We are paying for redundant services everywhere, and people just accept
it.
There is an opportunity for service companies to merge their
services. Why pay for a home phone if you are already paying for
unlimited minutes on your mobile phone? Why can't your house phone
share those minutes? Why pay for a mobile data plan, but not have the
ability to tether your device without paying ANOTHER $40-$60 per month
to access a service that you are already paying for? Why can't that
internet access be included with your home? It is bandwidth that you
have been paying for, but have no access to.
Think about the redundancy in your life, and how complacent you are
to pay those prices. Are you ready to do the same for your internet
access at home, or your local coffee shop? Are you ready to pay over
$100 for a service that is now only $50-$60? It's coming to a
neighborhood near you!
[Reprinted from a May 8th, 2010 Blog on my website.]
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