Readers Respond: The Toll-Free Internet

Readers respond to the eWEEK editorial, "Fight to Keep the Internet Toll-Free."

In the Jan. 30 editorial, "The Toll-Free Internet," you use the analogy of the Interstate Highway System when referring to providers charging a toll for using certain applications. If were going to use this analogy, lets look at it in terms of traffic. A 1-mile stretch of road can accommodate X number of cars. The fewer cars there are, the faster traffic flows. Add tractor-trailer combos, or any other heavy-duty truck, and the capacity of that highway system goes down. So, we have ordinary people browsing the Web, checking e-mail, shopping online, maybe downloading some music or photos, even chatting. Compare the amount of bandwidth required to do these tasks with whats required when running applications. Theres also more stress placed on the ISPs equipment to allow the amount of throughput required by these large applications. Are these providers right in asking for financial help to keep their equipment up to speed? Do governments float bonds to expand our roadways? Do truckers pay extra just to provide their unique service? Lets face it: The age-old adage that theres no such thing as a free lunch still applies today. There will be no toll-free Internet. Phillip M. Zeuner
Aamco Transmission
Bala Cynwyd, Pa.