Topic: Bandwidth Caps

Dane Jasper clarifies the difference between true "fiber to the home" and the "fiber to the node" (FTTN) services offered by incumbents like AT&T. He explains that FTTN still relies on old copper wires for the final stretch, limiting speeds and reliability. Jasper also discusses Sonic's lack of data caps for residential use, though he notes that reselling the service or running high-traffic servers is prohibited under residential terms.

A listener reports that Suddenlink has implemented a pricing model based on data caps, charging $10 for every 50 gigabytes over the limit. The hosts argue this is a fair way to manage network saturation caused by high-definition streaming. They predict that the transition to 4K streaming will eventually force all users to accept paid priority to maintain service quality.

Curry acknowledges donations from producers Ciro Picirio and Glenn Woodfin, the latter of whom provided silver dollars. A listener named Jerry shared his struggles with satellite internet in the mountains, which is limited to 400 megabytes per day. This limitation forces him to be selective about which podcast episodes he can download.

The hosts discuss the technical requirements for running a Slingbox, including the impact on monthly data caps. While Comcast has a 250 gigabyte monthly limit, heavy Slingbox usage can consume up to two gigabytes per day. Adam Curry plans to set up a dedicated Slingbox on a Virgin Media connection in the UK for remote access.