Topic: Data Usage

5 chapters across the catalog

Heroin Hotties
Episode 1794 48:19 - 49:45

1794: Heroin Hotties

Google Virginia Data Centers, Fusion Energy Claims

Google is expanding its data center footprint in Chesterfield County, Virginia, while facing community concerns regarding power and water consumption. To mitigate criticism, the company claims it is investing in "innovative technology like fusion energy" to ensure future capacity, a claim met with skepticism.

Faschtech
Episode 704 2:26:53 - 2:35:03

704: Faschtech

Gatekeepers, Metered Usage, and Title II Lawsuits

The FCC document quotes Benjamin Franklin to justify its "catch-all standard" against ISP gatekeepers. The hosts predict that these regulations will lead to metered internet usage and data caps, ultimately making the internet more expensive for consumers. They also anticipate years of litigation from the mobile industry, which argues that the FCC's "tailoring" of Title II regulations is an illegal overreach of its authority.

Climate Chaos
Episode 617 2:25:50 - 2:31:30

617: Climate Chaos

Usage-Based Billing and the Five-Year Forecast

Comcast's CEO predicts that usage-based billing will be rolled out across the company's footprint within five years. The model involves setting a high "basic level" of usage (e.g., 300-500 GB) and charging for additional "buckets" of data. The hosts argue that this is the inevitable result of net neutrality regulation, as ISPs seek to recoup costs from heavy users like Netflix while maintaining high profit margins.

Climate Chaos
Episode 617 2:28:40 - 2:31:30

617: Climate Chaos

Comcast's Five-Year Plan for Usage-Based Billing

In a forward-looking statement, Brian Roberts predicts that Comcast will have a "usage-based billing model" rolled out across its entire footprint within five years. He describes pilot programs where users get a base "bucket" of data (e.g., 300GB) and pay for additional increments. Adam highlights this as the "smoking gun" of what the Net Neutrality debate is actually facilitating.

One Big Ponzi Scheme
Episode 61 54:07 - 57:31

61: One Big Ponzi Scheme

Slingbox Bandwidth, Comcast Data Caps, Remote Viewing

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.