Data Cap Analysis Found Almost 200 ISPs Imposing Data Limits in the US (arstechnica.com)

An anonymous reader shares a report: BroadbandNow, a broadband provider search site that gets referral fees from some ISPs, has more than 2,500 home internet providers in its database. BroadbandNow's team looked through the ISPs' websites to generate a list of those with data caps. The data cap information was "pulled directly from ISP websites," BroadbandNow Director of Content Jameson Zimmer told Ars. BroadbandNow, which is operated by a company called Microbrand Media, plans to keep tracking the data caps over time in order to examine trends, he said. The listed caps range from 3GB to 3TB per month. That 3GB cap seemed like it couldn't be accurate, so we called the ISP, a small phone company called NTCNet in Newport, New York. A person answering the phone confirmed that the company lists 3GB as its cap, but said it is not enforced and that customers' usage isn't monitored. The cap is essentially a placeholder in case the ISP needs to enforce data limits in the future. [...] BroadbandNow excluded mobile providers from its list of ISPs with data caps, since caps are nearly universal among cellular companies. The list of 196 providers with caps includes 89 offering fixed wireless service, 45 fiber ISPs, 35 DSL ISPs, 63 cable ISPs, and two satellite providers. Some offer Internet service using more than one technology. Some of the providers are tiny, with territories covering just 100 or a few hundred people.

Comments

Re:Which is redundant, they ALL have finite resour

[ShanghaiBill]

All ISPs have limited resources, they can only transit a certain amount of data.

That isn't the point. Of course there is a physical limit to what they can provide. That is different from ARTIFICIALLY limiting data while advertising no data caps. That is dishonest and deceptive.

If I go to an "all-you-can-eat" buffet, I understand that they may run out of some items, and if it is crowded, the kitchen may not be able to keep up. That is different from them telling me "You've had enough, so pay extra if you want more food."

Wrong argument

[rsilvergun]

just because they correctly advertise something awful doesn't mean it's not awful. Providing the last mile service that cable companies do costs almost nothing (around $9/mo according to Comcast's SEC filing, though that figures a few years out of date so it might be up to a whopping $11-$12). The infrastructure was built with tax breaks and subsidies so there's no investment to recoup. It was paid for by our tax dollars and we basically just handed it over to a private company to profit from and don't question it.

Re:You cannot rate an ISP as a whole

[arbiter1]

I bet money they have language in TOS that says otherwise about it being uncapped. They may not have a listed number but generally all TOS has some section about excessive usage which can be enforced when ever they want.

I don't understand the problem.

[gfxguy]

Why does it matter as long as the data cap isn't hidden or abused (throttling implemented before the cap is reached)? I know my Comcast account has a 1TB limit, and that it will cost me extra for exceeding it. Moreover, they warn me when I'm approaching the limit. My phone service has a 6GB limit, after which you're throttled. They don't hide the fact. Unless the company is doing these things without telling the customer, why is it news?

Re:I don't understand the problem.

[gfxguy]

There's nothing unfair when you sign up for a service and agree to the terms and conditions. If you have a complaint about monopolies, then great - I agree with you.