On 4/29/13, Jakob Heitz <jakob.heitz@ericsson.com> wrote:
That's evil. Charge what it costs to provide each service. If and when it costs more to provide IPv4 service (and only then), then charge more for it.
Which of the below do you suggest is evil? Offering an IPv6 only service and charging a lower price for it? Charging more for a service than it costs? Or attempting to use pricing to manipulate consumer behavior? Just to be clear... using pricing, discounts, and such to manipulate consumer behavior is pretty standard, and such topics are complex and messy... we should therefore only be concerned with likely effectiveness and operational aspects, for IPv6 and v4 exhaustion, in that regard.. on an operators list. Most residential providers are for-profit entities, and therefore, do not charge what each service costs, as the price: there is always bound to be some margin, and they are supposed to be pricing services, to achieve their business objectives, which could include directing customers towards products that have a greater likelihood of being viable and highest revenue in the future. It falls within their free will to select or adjust their pricing, so no, discounting an IPv6 or seeking more for a service combining IPv4 and v6 won't be evil in and of itself. If a service provider is intending to charge exactly what each service costs, then they should either not be in that business due to poor performance, doing something differently, or management is suppressing their company's revenue, failing in their fiduciary duties to shareholders, which is evil, (but ultimately represents opportunity for a competitor).
I imagine in a few years the tradeoff: IPv6 has less connectivity (IPv4 clients can't reach you), but IPv4 is more expensive (pay for the address). Then the tide might turn.
I'm more concerned about all the pain exhaustion causes in the interim; which is definitely not mitigated through every operator just sitting and waiting. -- -JH