Comcast considers cap on Net usage

deafclimber

deafclimber

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this may not be good news to us in case one of us may use VP relays or webcams heavily everyday.

By Deborah Yao, AP Business Writer
PHILADELPHIA — Comcast, the nation's second-largest Internet service provider, is considering setting an official limit on the amount of data that subscribers can download per month and charging a fee for those who go over.
As more consumers download movies and music online, Internet service providers have to grapple with how to manage their traffic so that bandwidth hogs don't slow down the network for the lighter users among the company's 14.1 million subscribers.

For years, Comcast directly called customers who used up several times more bandwidth than the typical subscriber's 2 gigabytes per month — for instance, by downloading hordes of movies. The big users were asked to reduce their use or have their accounts canceled.

Some Comcast customers have griped that the company hasn't been more forthcoming about the bandwidth ceiling at which they would get a call. Comcast's shift aims to improve transparency.

Comcast and other ISPs, however, may be acting too late to change consumer behavior, said Phil Redman, research vice president at Gartner Inc.

FIND MORE STORIES IN: Internet | Texas | Atlanta | Oregon | Comcast | Cox | Beaumont | Gartner Inc | ISPs | Bend | Alex Dudley | BroadbandReports.com | Phil Redman
"Once you're on an unlimited plan, it's hard to go back," he said. "On the wireline side, it's almost an inalienable right to use as much bandwidth as you want for a set price."

A report that Comcast was considering limits on monthly use appeared in the online tech forum BroadbandReports.com and was confirmed Wednesday by the company.


REPORT: Comcast Considering 250GB Cap, Overage Fees

Jennifer Khoury, a company spokeswoman, said Comcast is "currently evaluating this service and pricing model to ensure we deliver a great online experience to our customers."

Comcast describes excessive users as those who send, for instance, 40 million e-mails or download 50,000 songs a month.

One option is to cap the bandwidth usage at 250 gigabytes per month. If the 250 gigabytes is allotted for just downloads, that's enough to handle about 50 high-definition movies, 250 standard-definition movies or more than 6,000 songs every month.

If users exceed that cap, they could be charged $15 for every 10 gigabytes they go over.

Because the plan is still in its early stages, Comcast could still change the details or decline to impose any caps or charges.

Time Warner Cable is on track this year to roll out a test run of a plan to charge different rates depending on Internet use, said spokesman Alex Dudley.

The trial in Beaumont, Texas, will offer five-, 10-, 20-, or 40-gigabyte plans to new customers priced tentatively from $29.95 to $54.95 a month. Those who go over will be charged a fee. Subscribers can check their bandwidth use through a website.

New York-based Time Warner said 5% of subscribers use 50% of the bandwidth.

Cox Communications in Atlanta said it has had usage caps on its Internet plans for three years. Consumers who go over the limit will be warned first, usually by e-mail, after which they will have service suspended until they call customer service. Spokesman David Grabert said customers appreciate that Cox has "clearly communicated ... what our limits are."

Bend Cable Communications, a cable operator in Bend, Ore., is already charging $36.95 to $74.95 a month for plans ranging from 10 to 100 gigabytes, with subscribers who go over the limit charged $1.50 per gigabyte.

Shares of Comcast fell 28 cents to $21.57 on Wednesday.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Sheesh Better not!!!! Not fair?? :dunno2:


I guess better to calling direct tv or another cable?? ughh
 
This is not good news for me. I use comcast 6 mbps. I can run two videophone at same time. As talking to client and calling VRS on another. I need the speed and dont want to switch over to usage charges.

I gonna call comcast and protest. Even will ask how much of usage I have been using average for last two years to compare.

Call comcast and find out how much you have been using. Compare our data and protest.
 
This is why I call the company Comcrap... They will nickel and dime you for every little thing. I am trying to convince my wifey to dump Comcrap cable modem. She said she isnt done with dumping all her emails.. ** slapping my forehead**. Once one company charges for more badnwidth per usage per month, the other cable companies are sure to follow...
 
SouthFella said:
This is why I call the company Comcrap... They will nickel and dime you for every little thing. I am trying to convince my wifey to dump Comcrap cable modem. She said she isnt done with dumping all her emails.. ** slapping my forehead**. Once one company charges for more badnwidth per usage per month, the other cable companies are sure to follow...
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If that happens, everybody will be going back to dial-up
 
Comcast sucks in DC but great service in PA... I gonna ask parents to prepare themselves for increase pricing or whatever
 
I just took time to call Comcast since last post...

Tech support do know about the situation. They do not have tool to calculate how much usage you will use monthly as now. Tech support rep did not like the idea and put in a comment to see if can add Deaf rates because its our lifeline of communication.

And ironic... I am now paying $25 monthly for high speed Internet @ 6 MBPS and two static IP address from Comcast. Can anyone beat that?

Call Comcast and start complaining. They will hear your complaints and explain LIFELINE videophone communication accessible is a MUST!

Now I need to call DLINK to learn how to re-route my two static ip address to specific computers and videophone. Any tips? I have WBR-2310 from DLINK. It works like charm.
 
Oh, ugh at Comcast.

I'm glad that use DSL.
 
Deaf Mortgage said:
I just took time to call Comcast since last post...

Tech support do know about the situation. They do not have tool to calculate how much usage you will use monthly as now. Tech support rep did not like the idea and put in a comment to see if can add Deaf rates because its our lifeline of communication.

And ironic... I am now paying $25 monthly for high speed Internet @ 6 MBPS and two static IP address from Comcast. Can anyone beat that?

Call Comcast and start complaining. They will hear your complaints and explain LIFELINE videophone communication accessible is a MUST!

Now I need to call DLINK to learn how to re-route my two static ip address to specific computers and videophone. Any tips? I have WBR-2310 from DLINK. It works like charm.
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I think..... Could I contact VP Sorenson about this? :dunno2:
 
Geez, Comcast is really greedy! They gotta keep that chump change and they will lose a lot of subscribers who use the internet a lot.
 
It's bad news for hardcore online gamers too, such use Xbox Live, PSN or gaming online for very long hours.
 
I'm a Comcast user since 2001 and never have any trouble with them. I pay $42 a month flat since and now I'm on 6mbps download. They have done the free upgrades before, when I first opened it was low as 2mbps (I think). I don't download large bandwith that often. I don't use VP everyday, averaging about twice a week and most of the time it's a short call.


The internet speed on my Mac is killer! thanks to unix program (Mac is part of unix) that makes download faster. When I have software updates from Apple, the 50+mb file download only takes less than a minute ;)
 
We are currently on DSL and we are considering switching to local IPTV from Arkwest Communications. If Arkwest follows Comcast in charging us per bandwidth usage then likely we will stay with DSL.

But Im not sure most telecommunications companies can actually pinpoint your exact usage, most companies havent up until now.

If enough consumers complain then Im sure Comcast will decide NOT to charge these 'hidden fees'.
 
Cable Broadband Users, Get Ready For Overage Fees

This is going to be bad news for major VP users like myself.. I spend about 100 hours of VP calls per month at work/home.

If my math is right, using setting of 512Kbps for U/D, 14.4GB/hr alone for VP.. Not including normal internet usage on email, web, etc.

If my math is wrong, let me know.. Off my head: 512kbps (kilobit per sec) * 3600 (one hour) * 8 (convert to full byte) / 1024 (convert to MB) / 1024 (conver to GB) = 14.4GB/hr

I damn hope cable providers who start the overusage crap better have very very high cap limit per month, like 200GB.

What seemed like a vague industry possibility just a few months ago now seems like an inevitable certainty. Multiple carriers in North America are now either employing or considering monthly caps where users pay per gigabyte should they "over eat." But the move begs a number of questions, not least of which is whether opening the door to overage fees invites a broadband future where ISPs use the specter of "excessive use" as a new piggy bank, and a way to fight off third party video delivery systems.

See for rest of article: Cable Broadband Users, Get Ready For Overage Fees - Clear caps? Great. $1.50/GB Overage fees? Wait a !@$% minute... - dslreports.com
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