Massimo Cavazzini

Dal Times di oggi:
“Vodafone customers are in uproar over the company’s intention to charge anyone who downloads more than 500MB of data a month on their mobile phones, even individuals with tariffs offering unlimited browsing. Angry users on website forums at bitterwallet.com and moneysavingexpert.co.uk and Vodafone’s web site accuse the mobile phone giant of lying and have been urging customers to complain to Ofcom, the telecoms regulator, Consumer Direct and the Advertising Standards Authority.

A Facebook group has been set up called Vodafone UK screws its customers on Data Charges . Many of the forum users say that they were sold their mobile phone package on the basis that it offered unlimited access to the internet at no extra cost. They have been demanding that Vodafone allow them to cancel their contract without penalty on the basis that they were mis-sold. Contradictory statements issued by Vodafone have added to their frustration. Vodafone’s intention to penalise heavy internet users emerged only after a prospective customer asked whether there were any consequences of downloading more than 500MB of data. Under the mobile phone company’s “Fair Usage Policy”, Vodafone had said that this was the maximum it expected the average customer to use within a month, but it rarely penalised anyone who breached this ceiling. However, customers began receiving text messages earlier this month warning them: You are reaching the end of your data allowance. You will be charged another £0.50 for the next 5MB”.

Vodafone Italia non è ancora arrivata a tanto, ma pian piano mette paletti: dall’unlimited ai 500 MB al giorno, dalla libertà di navigare al blocco di P2P e VoIP (ad esempio Skype) e tethering (l’uso del cellulare come modem), dalla net neutrality alla packet inspection (guardo cosa c’è nella trasmissione dati e decido priorità diverse), dalla banda libera al traffic shaping (con riduzione della velocità in orari diurni: in pubblicità 21,6 o 28,8 Mbps, nella realtà possibilità di limitare a 128 Kbps in download e 64 Kbps in upload dalle 7 alle 22).

Questi comportamenti sono pericolosi: non mi stanco di dirlo per non trovarci un mercato condizionato verso il basso, anzichè verso un’Internet mobile più aperta e a prezzi concorrenziali.