Fergie's Tech Blog

Internet 'Fast Lane' Could Carry Heavy Toll

A New York Times article by Ken Belson, via The International Herald Tribune, reports that:

Are consumers going to start having to spend a lot more to surf the Web?

Phone and cable companies have stoked those fears recently by floating plans that would have Amazon, Yahoo and other Web sites paying new fees to ensure that their content will be delivered to customers faster.

This has raised the prospect that consumers may end up having to pay twice for access to the Internet - once to the phone or cable company that sells them a dial-up or broadband line and again to Internet companies that might pass along new charges to people getting content from their sites.

While consumer prices may not increase immediately, consumer advocates, industry analysts and telecommunications executives say that, one way or another, consumers are likely to shell out more to get Web content in the future.

posted by Fergie @ 3/05/2006 08:59:00 AM