RE: [tlug] 100mbit to the home

[patrick.niessen@example.com]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jonathan Byrne [mailto:jq@example.com] 
> Sent: Monday, February 09, 2004 3:41 PM
> To: tlug@example.com
> Subject: Re: [tlug] 100mbit to the home
> 
> 
> On Mon, Feb 09, 2004 at 07:14:16AM +0100, 
> patrick.niessen@example.com wrote:
> 
> >pay by credit card.  On the downside they seem to charge a 
> premium for 
> >the english service.
> 
> It always used to be the same price as the Japanese service.  
> However, I don't find charging a premium for Engish service 
> to be unjustified in Japan; it's far easier to provide 
> service only in Japanese, and as a result, businesses that 
> target the English-speaking market are usually doing so at a 
> higher price point than ones targeting the general 
> population.  I bet that if stores like Yodobashi Camera has a 
> Yodobashi English-Kan, you'd 
> pay more to shop there, in exchange for staff who spoke 
> English and spoke it well.  
> 

No disputing that.  As I said I was a happy customer, but when my cable
internet arrived no adsl or similar service was available yet. thats why I
switched.

As the discussion heats up in this group I think that there is one big
question to ask:  Is an ISP service a commodity similar to electricity and
water? In the best case I pay the fees, and in return I receive a
configuration sheet, media converter/modem etc...  After I plug the network
settings into my PC / MAC or router, I forget about it forever and it just
works whenever I use it.

Of course there are many factors like capacity, equipment, operating
procedures in the background which make the service better or worse, but the
consumer cannot necessarily feel a difference ...

Patrick