Are Internet caps a necessary evil?

Is usage-based billing a necessary evil? Do telecom companies actually have an issue with network congestion, or is the whole thing a regulatory red herring?

Mark Goldberg, who has more than 30 years of experience in planning, managing, designing and implementing telecommunications carrier networks, thinks the decision is necessary in this era of all-you-can-eat Internet plans gone wild.

Ronald Gruia is the Principal Analyst for Emerging Telecom at Frost & Sullivan. His main focus areas include NGN migration strategies, IMS, 4G, FMC, VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), At once-Gen Carrier Messaging Platforms, IPTV, Triple Play Services, IP Centrex, Enterprise Communications Systems and Unified Communications, among others. He has authored several reports and has as well played a key role in strategic consulting projects in these areas.

Since joining Frost & Sullivan in February of 2001, Mr. Gruia has spoken at conferences just as Supercomm, VON, 3GSM, CTIA, IMS Expo, Futurecom, IP Comm, Fierce IPTV, Intel Communications Summit, IMS World Forum, VON Canada, IP World Canada and Comdex Canada. He as well writes articles for various publications, has appeared on Report on Business Television and TechTV, Decision TV and Telecom TV, and has been quoted in publications just as Business Week, Financial Times, Forbes, Wired, API, DJ Newswire, Reuters, MarketWatch, Network World, IT Business, IT World, Los Angeles Times, San Jose Mercury News, Wireless Week, National Post, San Francisco Chronicle and CIO Magazine.

Mr.Gruia is an MIT graduate in Electrical Engineering, and has accumulated years of experience in the telecom industry, having held several roles at Nortel Networks' Enterprise Division, where he earned a U.S. patent. He fluently speaks Portuguese, Spanish and Romanian and has working knowledge of Italian and French.

Mark Goldberg has more than 30 years of international experience in strategic planning, managing, designing and implementing telecommunications carrier networks. His background includes heading the Network Services organization for one of Canada's largest long distance companies, developing the network architecture for competition in Canada, design of the US Government Voice Network, creating the business plan for Canada's Information Highway initiative, and helping international entrepreneurs launch traditional and enhanced telecommunications services.