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Comcast Is Raising Its Data Caps From 300GB To 1TB (arstechnica.com)
An anonymous reader writes: Comcast has announced today it will be raising its monthly data cap of 300GB to 1TB beginning June 1st. They will however charge more to customers who want unlimited data. After June 1st, less people will need to buy unlimited data from the company. Previously, users were charged an extra $30 to $35 a month for unlimited data but now they will have to pay an additional $50 for unlimited data. "All of the data plans in our trial markets will move from a 300 gigabyte data plan to a terabyte by June 1st, regardless of the speed," Comcast's announcement today said. The reason for the change? Customers are exceeding the 300GB cap. In late 2013, Comcast said only 2 percent of its customers used more than 300GB of data a month. That number was up to 8 percent in late 2015.
Comcast hates giving you what you paid for.... Comcast rewarding customers? HA!
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
Why should Comcast give everyone unlimited access to a self imposed limited resource?
Fixed that for you
For most of the civilized world it was a limited resource...10 years ago. And most of the world kept up and have very high data rates for a reasonable monthly cost. But the US is an outlier because the telecom and cable companies pocketed their rent-seeked profits (i.e. dividends, stock buybacks, Congressional junkets, etc.) instead of upgrading infrastructure.
If Comcast invested in their infrastructure there's no reason every home shouldn't have 100Mbs service. At that rate none of this would be an issue as that's more than enough to serve multiple streams of Netflix and anything else to the average household.
Point is, caps shouldn't even be a conversation topic in the year 2016.
Sorry, no tears for Comcast and their ilk here.
For the extreme users, you both may be right, but that's still just the 1% - 2% of top users.
300gb/month is approximately 5.5 hr of HD streaming from netflix per day (http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/how-much-monthly-bandwidth-doe-136401)
That may seem like a lot for one person, but it wouldn't be very difficult for one person to use that and hold down a normal job.
If you consider a household, which both the comcast and netflix subscriptions allow, then you could easily burn through that much, as at least 8% of their customers are doing now (according to TFS).
That's just legit streaming, with no torrents or other large downloads, nor any intensive work stuff, and completely ignoring all other internet usage. I doubt those users are going to schedule their streaming TV/movie watching for off peak hours. There's a reason the peaks are where they are now, and it's damn near all streaming video.
IMNSHO, I think:
* they shouldn't be allowed to charge per GB without offering better tools for their users
* once they do though, they should offer a base package (300-1000gb seems fine for that), and then a flat per-GB fee above that.
* get rid of speed restrictions if they use caps or charge per-GB (if everyone is paying same price per-gb, everyone should get the same bps)
Because the limits are false.
Comcast, Cox, Time Warner, etc. have made their own little monopolized diamond business, creating artificial scarcity.
The problem is that they've done this to a basic utility service, instead of an exorbitant luxury item like diamonds.
This signature is false.
You take your chances on the first attempt. But why in the world would you reelect him or the party when he screws up? And then you got these kind of guys in there for five or six terms, what is up with that? The problem is now self inflicted. It's not even politics anymore, it's a pathology.
“He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
Then you don't know what you're talking about. I buy "wholesale" bandwidth for servers an I can EASILY get 20TB for less than $80. While bandwidth isn't free, you need to stop drinking the ISP Kool aid. They are price gouging every customer and stealing from every tax payer.