Bigpond music store: problem

Telstra Bigpond has a new online music store. Better, they're offering downloads in MP3 format, which should satisfy all but the most radical advocates of open media formats.

I should be happy with the fact that DRM just got another nail in its coffin, but....

From the linked article:

BigPond now gives iPod users an alternative place to purchase their favourite music in a format that will work on their player. And if they are BigPond customers they will save money on the tracks and download them free of data charges

So an ISP is giving its current and potential future customers preferential access to that ISP's own music store. And why do I suspect that Bigpond's deal with the major Australian record companies will give Bigpond exclusive online MP3 distribution rights?

I was open to the possibility that Itunes' and the ABC's "what download quota?" deals with Iinet could be equitable since both Apple and the ABC were free to make similar deals with other ISPs, but when an ISP is giving preferential treatment to a music download site that it itself runs?

This is not a neutral Net.

Monthly download limits, exemptions from them, and Net Neutrality

Like most ADSL users in Australia, my connection has a monthly download limit. Exceed it, and my connection speed is then throttled down to only slightly faster than dial-up for the remainder of that billing period. Not something I want to happen in a hurry.

So I should be chuffed that my ISP has decided that downloads from iTunes are what my ISP calls "freezone" - they don't count towards my monthly download quota. Likewise, the ABC's new iView service is freezone. In fact, the ABC is specifically lobbying Australian ISPs to exempt their new digital baby from download quotas. My ISP is apparently the first to do it: "...the broadcaster was trying to convince internet providers to exclude ABC channels from download limits and by last night iiNet had agreed."

I should be pleased. But I can't help wondering what the implications of exempting some web services, but not others, from monthly download limits will be on the principle of Net Neutrality...