Online Public Relations Thoughts

News of more traffic caps for internet access is not surprising. ISPs are facing a predicament. As bandwidth rises, so does the cost of providing it. Someone has to pay for the infrastructure. However, this may turn into a PR problem for companies that are charging and/or capping monthly usage. People are conditioned to think that the internet is nearly free. It isn't and never has been. They resist metering, even if it doesn't kick in until they start downloading two to three feature-length movies a month. The new administration believes in net neutrality -- that is, anyone can use the internet at any time for multiple purposes. There will be a collision between reality and political will. PR practitioners in telecommunications should be preparing for it now.