AT&T To Create Tiered Internet Access For Subscribers By Fawn Johnson Dow Jones Newswires
July 22, 2008: 07:50 AM EST http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/djf500/200807220750DOWJONESDJONLINE000309_FORTUNE5.htm WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- AT&T Inc. on Monday said it will bring out a new tiered mechanism for giving Internet access to subscribers at different network speeds. AT&T customers currently buy Internet access at various speeds that the company delivers through its dedicated phone lines. But AT&T Senior Federal Regulatory Vice President Robert Quinn said it is difficult to guarantee subscribers' requested speeds for the whole Internet because AT&T can't control the nondedicated, shared part of the network. Quinn appeared at a Federal Communications Commission hearing on digital policy held at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. In October, AT&T will establish discrete tiers for subscribers at various levels with the goal of giving them Internet speeds in certain ranges. The new service will change AT&T's current practice of guaranteeing subscribers Internet speeds "up to" their subscribed amount. "When AT&T provides broadband service by speed, it will do so in discrete, non-overlapping tiers," Quinn said in written testimony. "We will strive to provide service within the speed tier purchased by the customer and, if we find that we are not providing service within the ordered speed tier, AT&T will take action either to bring the customer's service within the ordered tier or give the customer an option to move to a different tier." Quinn noted that some aspects of Internet speed are outside AT&T's control. " One of the challenges associated with providing broadband Internet access is the fact that end-to-end Internet throughput that customers experience is largely outside the control of individual broadband providers like AT&T." AT&T plans to change its customer contracts and disclosures to reflect the change, Quinn said. Those notices also will "clearly identify any limitations on the amount of usage that may apply to a customer's service plan." The notices also will explain the difference between the speed capabilities that AT&T provides and the throughput speeds that are dependent on other networks. ================================ George Antunes, Political Science Dept University of Houston; Houston, TX 77204 Voice: 713-743-3923 Fax: 713-743-3927 antunes at uh dot edu ******************************* * POST TO [EMAIL PROTECTED] * ******************************* Medianews mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.etskywarn.net/mailman/listinfo/medianews
