[nitrogen]

1. It is within the realm of technology to profitably provide unmetered bandwidth at standard rates, with minimal shaping during peak use hours. To borrow the phrase seen used on here with reference to nuclear power, bandwidth is almost "too cheap to meter." That's what is real.

2. What the ISPs and/or infrastructure owners are charging is orders of magnitude beyond covering costs. Bandwidth is getting cheaper as technology advances and old lines are paid for, and yet they are raising prices.

3. Many of the hackers on this site are developing cloud-based solutions to computing problems, solutions which can advance the well-being of the human race and provide new value to the marketplace. ISPs' greed has stifled and will continue to stifle this economic and societal growth.

Given these three points, I think it's clear why commenters are arguing against ridiculously overpriced Internet access.

[snowwindwaves]

a nuclear power plant costs 6-8 billion up front, before you get a dime back and takes 2-8 years to build. Nobody in the US except the government will loan utilities the money to build or upgrade a nuclear power plant. I'm all for nuclear power, but it ain't cheap.

[ergo98]

The electric generation system is actually a remarkably apt comparison because in most districts the cost of consumables is marginal. The real cost is in the capital expenditure needed for the system to supply a given load. Many of the same principals apply (e.g. "why do they charge me per kWh when they're overgenerating and they have all these nuclear power plants sitting around....")

[ergo98]

Arguing against "ridiculously overpriced internet access" is not bolstered by, pardon the expression, bullshit. 99% of what has been written here, and in the mirror ravings on Reddit, is just pure, unadulterated crap. It's factless nonsense that immediately makes the speaker just look like a selfish twit, desperately trying to spin a reality where only their needs are served.

This is not the standards for HN. It is, if anything, the antithesis of HN.

[Swannie]

I agree with you. The days of endless fixed utilisation are over.