The Consumerist has an article about Comcast’s download cap. I found this part very interesting.
Comcast even has a system ready to go where if you exceed the limit a popup will ask you to purchase additional gigabytes, our source says. The graphical user interface is completely designed and everything, but Comcast hasn’t deployed it, because they’re waiting for either another ISP to do it first, or to figure out how to do it without angering their customers, whichever comes first.
CEO Brian Roberts is said to have seen a demo and given his thumbs up.
I’ll be saying AMF to Comcast!
So basically I would have to use 4x as much as I use right now before this affects me. So other than constant non-stop use of bit-torrent is there any way to use more than 200 gig a month? I guess if there were 4 of me in the house…
So really I am in no danger of crossing this by using my pri line in conjunction with my cable modem and setting up a dial up isp that charges 5 bucks a month.
As soon as I have an alternative, (DSL?) Comcast is gone. Comcast took over from Time Warner in my area, and I hate to say it but I wish Time Warner was still my ISP!
Some of the most successful businesses are those that use the “drug dealer” business model. Before you were hooked, megabytes or even terabytes were cheap and easy, but you could still take it or leave it. Ah, those were carefree days, weren’t they?
Now, the thought of being cut off from YouTube videos and peer-to-peer “oxygen” makes your heart palpitate and your palms become sweaty. This is only the beginning — prepare for the squeeze. I only hope you don’t find yourself robbing a liquor store to support your cyberjunkie habit.
Lots of other ISP’s are doing this too in Canada, Rogers & Videotron that I know of.
I’m with Videotron, and in the last four months, bills have gone up. By surpassing the total gigs IN + OUT by 1g, 1$.
Doesn’t seem like much, but when your total in-out is 50g, and according to their verbal contract, on 20g allowed total.
Hidden costs to BitTorrent and online gaming.
As long as they don’t plan to sell their plans as “unlimited”, I’m fine with this.
If they do (like many cell companies), that’s different.
2,
Do you watch podcasts? 200meg avg??
Do you watch movies?? 600-2gig(about 1-2 hours)
Do you goto sites like Youtube?? and anything past 15min is about 200+ meg??
It can go up pretty fast. And that dont count just browsing..
It figures out to about 20-25 movies.
And IF you want to watch IPTV, which can be had.
Adultswim, and others supply content.
you MIGHT hit that number.
#2 – Downloading video is not the only way to run up your bandwidth numbers. New applications are coming out all the time which require access across the Net. For example, if people start using remote backup services like Mozy for multiple computers these bandwidth numbers can start to rise pretty quickly.
Also as more and more people start to use more bandwidth, these ISP may feel compelled to lower the limit at which they start charging more. For example if 90% of the people only use 50GB a month 5% use over 200GB per month then Comcast may have enough bandwidth to handle the steady load and will live with the heavy users. However if the average usage of bandwidth doubles for most users from 50GB to 100GB through the use of new applications; for example more people downloading video, more Video IP chats/calls, etc; then they will have less capability to handle even moderately heavy users and may need to lower the limit in order to preserve the bandwidth infrastructure they have or to fund more infrastructure.
The fact that they have implemented the tools to allow charging more for bandwidth means that they are going to do it. The only question is when, what will the new limits be and at what cost. I suspect our best response is to find other ISP’s and be ready to move when the limits are announced.
Does praying to google in the search bar help?
2. “So really I am in no danger of crossing this…”
I think you’re missing the point. We’re used to “unlimited” internet in the US. However, pretty soon there will be a line. Soon after that the line will be moved closer to increase profits. Soon after that we’ll probably be paying per bit like wireless phone users currently are.
In other words, it’s only a matter of time before we’re all screwed.
Another concern, is Gaming…
Many of the NEW games are NOT optimized..
DL new maps every day and watch your USE go up.
As well as the amount of data being sent Back and forth, WHILE in game.
Half life was cool when it came out. It was designed to run on Dialup..
NEw games are NOT so nice.
welcome to the future…these models were bound to happen. Also, this is the beginning of net neutrality being chipped away at. There will soon be tiered access to the internet and you will be forced to pay for access to different protocols(bit torrent)…and all isps will use deep-level packet monitoring to make sure you arent getting something you arent paying for. We cant let this shit happen, they’re slowly implementing this in baby steps and before you know it the net will no longer be free. Everyone go here and sign up and write you congresspeople:
http://www.savetheinternet.com/
Oddly enough, this move comes, when bandwidth is cheaper than it’s ever been.
With many streaming TV networks, like Joost, coming into prominence very soon… Comcast is making a HUGE mistake.
Then again this sort of greed is what is destroying the US. I doubt that it will stop, not until the country is bled dry and it’s too late to fix it.
#12, ECA,
You touched on a point. So many sites are optimized for high speed. It is a nickel and dime approach where every time you open a new page, you just d/l a couple of megs. Over the course of a month that adds up to a hefty chunk.
Sure bittorrents and YouTube eat a lot. Just don’t forget the other crap.
It will just become that much more imperative that we use our neighbors wireless access point.
I guess that would make Comcast a better deal for people who don’t use it for all those other things, and now we don’t have to worry about the bittorrenters hogging the bandwidth.
The pricing structure for services really determines how people will use those services.
I’d like to see Comcast offer a la carte pricing for all their services. I’d happily opt for paying only $25 a month if I agreed to a cap of 100Gb/month? How ’bout dropping my cable TV bill to $10 a month if I select only the 5 or 10 channels I watch?
The fixed rate method of billing is fundamentally flawed. Most of us use only a small fraction of the service offered.
Just put a bit meter on my house and change me for the bits I move, but open up competition for service so I have other providers competing for the job.
If your 5 channels are broadcasts, you can get that from Comcast.
On another note with Comcast, they are now starting to require customers to sign 2 year contracts when you call to change services. With FIOS breathing down their necks, Comcast is looking to lock as many people as possible into their overpriced service.
Comcast is a business that is out to maximize profits. The bandwidth abusers are something like the top 0.01% bandwidth users and always will be no matter how little they use. Comcast is out to minimize bandwidth usage no matter how cheap it has become so they can maximize profits. Comcast will always threaten the top bandwidth users even if they are only using 50 GB a month rather than today’s “limit” of 200 to 300 GB. Charging for HSI service based on bandwidth usage first hit the headlines 3 to 5 years ago. Comcast probably had a plan to charge more for additional bandwidth back then. If Verizon or AT&T start charging more for additional DLS bandwidth, I would expect Comcast to do the same because I doubt most of those in Comcast areas would have any other available HSI provider at that point that did not charge based on usage. Even if you do not use much bandwidth today, you will in the future when you stream more audio and video. Do you really think Comcast wants you to watch even legal TV shows over the Internet and rent movies over the Internet for no additional charge when they provide premium channels and movies on demand themselves. Someone has to pay for all the past acquisitions and mergers by the cable and telecom giants. That person is the consumer. Don’t ever expect your Comcast HSI bill to go down if they charge more for additional bandwidth. They will not give low bandwidth usages a break.
It’s the logical result of no (or very little) competition.
It wouldn’t happen if the politicians were not bought and paid for.
Let them Jack their prices up or offer less. Good !
I dropped Comcast two years ago. In my area Comcast prices are outrageous.
What we really need is a politician with a spine to give the whole telecoms industry a restructuring.
Just my two cents
stop bitching and download more..
max your limit and move on if/when they cut you off..
if everyone does, will they cut us all off?
i try to live by these simple rules..
What happens when proliferate the homes of individuals who have no idea what a gigabyte is, but they’re sucking up bandwidth like mad? Maybe a killer IPTV box will come out – Grandma knows if she plugs it in, she can watch The Price Is Right all day, but she doesn’t know about the giant bill at the end of the month.
It’s only a matter of time before it becomes a real problem.
..by the way, didn’t we pay a tax for YEARS for these companies to build these networks? And they’re still not robust enough to provide the usage we want?
^^^ “What happens when ***DEVICES*** proliferate. . .”
I got all excite using that new big word, I forgot the noun.
[Duplicate post. – ed.]
^^^ “What happens when ***DEVICES*** proliferate. . .”
Comcast’s CEO gets to buy his 5th house!
If you think that getting rid of Comcast will do anything, you are sadly mistaken — if and when they do this, everyone will follow suite immediately.
Mike T
This isn’t anything new. Back in 2003, I received a violation letter from Comcast stating that I was using 100 times more bandwidth than the national median. You can view a scan of their letter here:
http://www.wbttools.com/comcast.pdf
My response? I switched to another ISP immediately.