One of my job responsibilities is to generate, update, and distribute standard images for my organization’s PCs. Currently, this is done via Ghost images. One of the more tedious parts of this process is burning and duplicating several dozen DVDs, then FedExing them to various locations. The files are much, much too big to push across our WAN.

Frustrated by the time consuming DVD duplication process (yes, I know I could invest in a dedicated DVD duplicator), I looked to the Web for alternatives. I found a neat service called aDrive.com, which offered different online storage packages at different price points. I found a very economical option that would accommodate the storage needs of the image files. The goal would be for me to upload the most current image files to the service, which would then be available for others to download on demand.

But all my plans were dashed by my ISP, Cox Communications. The first problem was one I sort of already knew about but never encountered until trying to upload large (>1gb) files. And that was abysmal upload speeds (the 1-2mbps upstream speed they claim seems optimistic). It would have taken hours to upload just one of my Ghost files to the aDrive.com service. I realize that, for the majority of “typical” Internet users, most activities are on the downstream side of the equation. But for those of us who have legitimate need to upload large files, you’re kind of upstream without a paddle.

The second aspect of the ISP Double-Whammy comes in the form of the dreaded bandwidth cap. Here is the official Cox Limitations of Service. I have the Preferred Package with PowerBoost. So, even if I had drastically faster upload speeds, I’d hit my monthly cap of paltry 15gb and start incurring penalty fees.

So as you can see, my plan didn’t stand a chance. Cox does have “Business Class” Internet, but I couldn’t immediately tell if there was any difference in the bandwidth limitations.

This is absolutely not a unique situation, as virtually all the major ISPs have similar bandwidth caps and upload/download speeds. I’d be curious to know what kind of limits you folks with Verizon’s FIOS service have.

Now the tough questions come to mind. Namely, are bandwidth caps a pure money grab on the part of ISPs, or is out of necessity (to manage scarce bandwidth)? And what will it take to build out and enhance the Internet infrastructure in the United States to be more on par with that of South Korea and Japan?