DEL.ICIO.USComcast to make monthly Internet use cap official
Associated Press
Friday, August 29, 2008
New York — Comcast Corp., the nation’s second-largest Internet service provider, Thursday said it would set an official limit on the amount of data subscribers can download and upload each month.
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On Oct. 1, the cable company will update its user agreement to say that users will be allowed 250 gigabytes of traffic per month, the company announced on its Web site.
Comcast has already reserved the right to cut off subscribers who use too much bandwidth each month, without specifying exactly what constitutes excessive use.
“We’ve listened to feedback from our customers who asked that we provide a specific threshold for data usage and this would help them understand the amount of usage that would qualify as excessive,” the company said in a statement on its Web site.
Customers who go over the limit are contacted by the company and asked to curb their usage.
“We know from experience the vast majority of customers we ask to curb usage do so voluntarily,” the company said.
Comcast floated the idea of a 250 gigabyte cap in May and mentioned then that it might charge users $15 for every 10 gigabytes they go over, but the overage fee was missing in Thursday’s announcement.
Curbing the top users is necessary to keep the network fast and responsive for other users, Comcast has said.
Comcast stressed that the bandwidth cap is far above the median monthly usage of its customers, which 2 to 3 gigabytes.
Very few subscribers use more than 250 gigabytes, it said. A user could download 125 standard-definition movies, about four per day, before hitting the limit.
The cap is also above those of some other ISPs. Cox Communications’ monthly caps vary from 5 gigabytes to 75 gigabytes depending the subscriber’s plan. Time Warner Cable Inc. is testing caps between 5 gigabytes and 40 gigabytes in one market. Frontier Communications Co., a phone company, plans to start charging extra for use of more than 5 gigabytes per month.
Comments
By Smart Ace
Sep 2, 2008 10:16 AM | Link to this
That is the problem with cable Internet. The more people who access the pipe.....the less bandwidth everyone gets.
By Dave
Sep 1, 2008 8:56 PM | Link to this
Geez, read the full story and stop knee-jerk reacting to headlines!
Comcast's cap is still at least 100 (ONE HUNDRED) times greater than many of its competitors!
By ageofpaper
Aug 31, 2008 12:57 PM | Link to this
They are just one of the first of the corporations that are going to use limits, Direct TV also does it, once they all are on board the amount of down load capacity you can use will come down and down and even the people who only down load medium amounts of data will be paying extra. Folks there is no bandwidth shortage; there is only greed by these companies. Where is the FTC to stop the price fixing? Oh yea thanks Congress, how much did these pigs give to our corrupt representatives? The only way to stop this and other rip offs from everyone from Insurance to banking is to make it illegal for companies and pacıs to give donations or payoffs if you will.
By Willie G
Aug 30, 2008 11:57 PM | Link to this
Those of you who super-use should not be supported by those of us who use very little. Pay your fair share. If you don't like Comcast, Switch to something you do like.
By Me
Aug 30, 2008 9:18 PM | Link to this
Comcast sucks!.Period. They're expensive, their employess are rude, God their TV programming is the worst!!!
To All Concerned Citizens: Get rid of Comcast!!
By Dee0410
Aug 30, 2008 8:44 PM | Link to this
Comcast is a LOT better than DSL. I don't download or upload much, so I could care less about the limits. I'm a Comcast customer for life!!!
By stickin' with AT&T
Aug 30, 2008 7:22 PM | Link to this
I was going to switch to Comcast because my DSL is too slow, but now I think I'll stay put, thank you.
By ChaChiInFLA
Aug 30, 2008 6:22 PM | Link to this
I just sharted !
By technoFark
Aug 30, 2008 8:55 AM | Link to this
No wonder my network has slowed down. When I asked Comcast they said there was not a problem but this is the problem of using cable over DSL.
By Black Crack
Aug 30, 2008 2:55 AM | Link to this
I'm sooo glad I fired comcast 2 years ago...even though, you've got to be downloading a lot of pron to hit 250gb jess...lol
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