The Consumer Broadband and Digital Television Promotion Act (CBDTPA) is really misguided. It won't cause more consumers to sign up for broadband Internet access. Why? Because of price. The cost of broadband Internet access in the U.S. starts at about $35 per month, but typically the cost is closer to $45. And that cost doesn't include any content other than "free" content. So, if you sign up for a movie subscription service at, say, $25 per month, and a music subscription service at $15 month, the total amount is $85 per month. Who's going to pay that much for a service that isn't much more than cable TV, which costs about $40 per month? I think there is value in broadband Internet access, but not for the reasons that the sponsors of the CBDTPA think.
Posted by Doug Sauder at April 27, 2002 09:41 AM