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tshirt
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join:2004-07-11
Snohomish, WA

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Re: [Caps] Comcast New 300GB Monthly Limit And Overage Charges

said by Bodyslide:

So far this month. With 2 ps3's, 1 ps4, One Xbox, A few laptops and 4 smart phones we have done 43 gb in the first 5 days.

So if you have a big family (of devices) you need to budget more for 'food', and food delivery.

NormanS
I gave her time to steal my mind away
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NormanS

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said by tshirt:

So if you have a big family (of devices) you need to budget more for 'food', and food delivery.

Oh, dear! Now we are having a byte famine. Or is it that Chimera called the "Exaflood"?
rody_44
Premium Member
join:2004-02-20
Quakertown, PA

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to tshirt
You mean the way comcast has to budget more knowing that they will have way more service calls from high users of the service.

tshirt
Premium Member
join:2004-07-11
Snohomish, WA

tshirt to NormanS

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to NormanS
Not a famine, the OP is paying for the various devices, but using/needing greater bandwidth CAPACITY to receive more bits per month.
He KNOWS he only purchases 300GB per month from comcast so if he orders more than that he'll obviously need to pay for the extra.

NormanS
I gave her time to steal my mind away
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NormanS

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said by tshirt:

He KNOWS he only purchases 300GB per month from comcast ...

I have looked at the Comcast site for ordering Internet service. I read the "Details and Restrictions" for a number of the plans. Comcast sells "speed", not "volume". None of the plans I looked at mentioned that Comcast is selling any number of "GB" per month. I tried reading the Acceptable Use Policy, I could not find any reference to "volume" of data, only delivery speed.

So, based on not being able to readily find what the Comcast "volume" limits are, how can he know he is only purchasing 300 GB per month? This service cap is not mentioned on the sales site.

tshirt
Premium Member
join:2004-07-11
Snohomish, WA

tshirt

Premium Member

Reread the OP of this entire thread.
The OP received (along with everyone else in the effected area) receive a notice (think addendum to the static ToS's you read) stating "At Comcast, we recognize that our customers use the Internet for different reasons and have unique data needs. Starting September 1, 2013, Comcast will trial a new monthly data plan in this area, which will increase the amount of data included in your XFINITY Internet Service to 300 GB and provide more choice and flexibility.
Not sure how much clearer they need to be to satisfy YOUR definition of notice, most people caught the gist of it, even if they don't agree.

NormanS
I gave her time to steal my mind away
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NormanS

MVM

said by tshirt:

The OP received (along with everyone else in the effected area) receive a notice (think addendum to the static ToS's you read) stating "At Comcast, we recognize that our customers use the Internet for different reasons and have unique data needs. Starting September 1, 2013 ...

Still not available on the order site. NEW customers trying to perform Due Diligence by checking the order site can't know details not presented to them on the order site. What I know, from lurking/posting at DSLR forums is not necessarily common knowledge to potential customers.

Comcast should be forthcoming on the order site, instead of blindsiding their customers.

NetFixer
From My Cold Dead Hands
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NetFixer

Premium Member

said by NormanS:

Still not available on the order site. NEW customers trying to perform Due Diligence by checking the order site can't know details not presented to them on the order site. What I know, from lurking/posting at DSLR forums is not necessarily common knowledge to potential customers.

Comcast should be forthcoming on the order site, instead of blindsiding their customers.

Absolutely correct. And just in case you weren't seeing mention of a bandwidth usage restriction because your area did not have it, I just checked the order site as a new residential customer in my area (which has the 300GB limit for residential accounts), and there is no mention of a bandwidth usage restriction on the main page or in the "Details and Restrictions" or "Learn More" links.
swanlee
join:2013-12-05

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swanlee

Member

Uhh this sucks, We are a family of 3 and have already used 57GB this month and that is without downloading any games on my Xbox one. I hate having to now treat bandwidth even more restrictive than water or electricity.

500Gb would have been a more realistic level but with Super HD netflix, Youtube, next gen game downloads etc. Comcast needs to understand the world has changed and 300GB is simply not enough.

NetFixer
From My Cold Dead Hands
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NetFixer

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said by swanlee:

Uhh this sucks, We are a family of 3 and have already used 57GB this month and that is without downloading any games on my Xbox one. I hate having to now treat bandwidth even more restrictive than water or electricity.

500Gb would have been a more realistic level but with Super HD netflix, Youtube, next gen game downloads etc. Comcast needs to understand the world has changed and 300GB is simply not enough.

Comcast fully understands that many (and at some point, most) of their HSI residential customers will go over the 300GB bandwidth ceiling. That is why they now charge extra fees if you exceed that limit instead of simply terminating the customer's service (as they used to do). They finally learned to tap that resource for cash instead of shooting themselves in the foot.

JohnInSJ
Premium Member
join:2003-09-22
Aptos, CA

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said by swanlee:

Uhh this sucks, We are a family of 3 and have already used 57GB this month and that is without downloading any games on my Xbox one. I hate having to now treat bandwidth even more restrictive than water or electricity.

500Gb would have been a more realistic level but with Super HD netflix, Youtube, next gen game downloads etc. Comcast needs to understand the world has changed and 300GB is simply not enough.

"Comcast will automatically add blocks of 50 GB to your account for an additional $10, should you exceed the 300 GB included in your plan in a month."

So, you'll pay at most $40 more in a month when you use 500GB. Months you don't, you won't. It's not like you'll RUN OUT. You'll just pay a bit more.

This isn't a hard concept. Hell, I pay $200 more a month in the winter for gas then I do in the summer. To keep my house 90% as warm. Seems unfair.
JohnInSJ

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said by NetFixer:

Comcast fully understands that many (and at some point, most) of their HSI residential customers will go over the 300GB bandwidth ceiling.

I seriously doubt this. Many? Sure, where Many > .1% and less than 5% In all likelihood the spread is more like .1 - 2%

The vast majority of people just don't use boatloads of data. Some small numbers do. Shockingly, most of them are here on this forum. I know, I was stunned to find I was atypical too.
swanlee
join:2013-12-05

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My problem is this kind of cap stuff is not being advertised and was not what I signed up for when I subbed it was advetised as no cap and was based on speed as to which plan I got. Their is no competition in my area for real HSI so I'm pretty much stuck in a monopoly. Also if they are trying to punish cord cutters how about waving this cap nonsense for triple play subscribers?

I also fond it funny when they advertise live TV web steaming now as a comcast service. Yeah I'll use the live TV streaming from the comcast site just to go over my cap and pay them more money.

tshirt
Premium Member
join:2004-07-11
Snohomish, WA

tshirt to NormanS

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to NormanS
I agree clearer disclosure is a good idea, but this being an evolving item' in some locations, for a limited time (or not) it isn't yet.
On the other hand with 3 months of notice BEFORE you pay an overage, it is unlikely to "bill-shock" anyone.

NormanS
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NormanS

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said by tshirt:

... with 3 months of notice BEFORE you pay an overage, it is unlikely to "bill-shock" anyone.

Concede, on the warning time. My locol ILEC also gave advanced notice of implementing a paltry 150 GB cap. They have a more "generous" 250 GB cap on a service they are force-migrating users to; so I take it that they are using their cap as a cudgel to drive their customers to a more expensive set of services.

Fortunately there are at least three local competitive providers (two of which are CLECs) without caps, so I bailed. My speed is comparable to some MSO tiers; and at least half the price.
GTFan
join:2004-12-03
Austell, GA

GTFan to NetFixer

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to NetFixer
said by NetFixer:

said by swanlee:

Uhh this sucks, We are a family of 3 and have already used 57GB this month and that is without downloading any games on my Xbox one. I hate having to now treat bandwidth even more restrictive than water or electricity.

500Gb would have been a more realistic level but with Super HD netflix, Youtube, next gen game downloads etc. Comcast needs to understand the world has changed and 300GB is simply not enough.

Comcast fully understands that many (and at some point, most) of their HSI residential customers will go over the 300GB bandwidth ceiling. That is why they now charge extra fees if you exceed that limit instead of simply terminating the customer's service (as they used to do). They finally learned to tap that resource for cash instead of shooting themselves in the foot.

Yep and with our government asleep at the wheel as usual for regulation of these wired HSI oligopolies, we'll all get taken to the cleaners.

But wait, there's more! Our new FCC commish (former paid stooge for cable and wireless) says it's ok to let ISPs charge extra for preferred access to websites, which will basically destroy the open internet we have now if it's allowed to happen. Gotta love the corporatocracy.

»arstechnica.com/tech-pol ··· st-lane/

bigjohn
join:2005-05-26
Woodstock, GA

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Huh? I've been on comcast for 2+ years now and not a single service call - and I use over 300gb a month.

telcodad
MVM
join:2011-09-16
Lincroft, NJ

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telcodad to GTFan

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to GTFan
said by GTFan:

said by NetFixer:

Comcast fully understands that many (and at some point, most) of their HSI residential customers will go over the 300GB bandwidth ceiling. That is why they now charge extra fees if you exceed that limit instead of simply terminating the customer's service (as they used to do). They finally learned to tap that resource for cash instead of shooting themselves in the foot.

Yep and with our government asleep at the wheel as usual for regulation of these wired HSI oligopolies, we'll all get taken to the cleaners.

But wait, there's more! Our new FCC commish (former paid stooge for cable and wireless) says it's ok to let ISPs charge extra for preferred access to websites, which will basically destroy the open internet we have now if it's allowed to happen. Gotta love the corporatocracy.

»arstechnica.com/tech-pol ··· st-lane/

In connection with this week's CES, AT&T today announced its "Sponsored Data" service:

AT&T Criticized For Data Cap Carveout
New Service Would Allow Businesses to be Charged Directly for Customers' Data Use

By John Eggerton, Multichannel News - January 6, 2014
»www.multichannel.com/tec ··· t/147506

EDIT: A DSLR news item on this now: »AT&T To Launch Sponsored Data Product [72] comments

EDIT2: A press release from Free Press in response to this:

AT&T Sponsored Data Scheme Is a Lose-Lose for Customers and App Makers
Free Press - January 6, 2014
»www.freepress.net/press- ··· p-makers

iNick
Premium Member
join:2012-12-11
Joliet, IL

iNick

Premium Member

I wonder how this would work?

telcodad
MVM
join:2011-09-16
Lincroft, NJ

telcodad

MVM

On the Ars Technica site today:

AT&T plan to turn data caps into more cash could come to home Internet
Net neutrality law doesn't explicitly bar payments to bypass data caps.
By Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica - January 9, 2014
»arstechnica.com/tech-pol ··· nternet/

Kasoah
join:2013-08-20
Merced, CA

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Because using bandwidth is using something(limited) up.
haha

Rion
@comcast.net

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I'm a new customer to COMCAST, leaving UVERSE. I read the small print and I read nothing about going over 300. But that being said, the first full month of COMCAST. I went over. I admit that I was used to streaming Iheartradio all night and watching Netflix for hours on the weekends but that all stopped when I got the first phone call in December but now I'm on the 9th and I'm already close to exceeding. I did work from home one day this week but I haven't used Netflix or Iheartradio since January 1 so I could see what my usage was and now I'm at 90%. I wasn't at 90% this early in the month of December and the site where I should be able to monitor my usage is not working. Very sad that my 30 day trial period ending 6 days ago or would have gone back to Uverse.

Anyone else having this issue especially those in areas where we will have to pay if we go over 300 gb

train_wreck
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join:2013-10-04
Antioch, TN
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Cisco DPC3939

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train_wreck

Member

kind of straying off topic, but if you stop your normal usage but are still going over/close to the cap, then something else inside your network is transferring data, and you should figure out what that is... could be a family member, a rogue backup program on your computer automatedly running, or potential malware activity.
Expand your moderator at work

NormanS
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Re: [Caps] Comcast New 300GB Monthly Limit And Overage Charges

said by NetFixer:

Comcast fully understands that many (and at some point, most) of their HSI residential customers will go over the 300GB bandwidth ceiling.

Wonder what Comcast will do if you don't "consume" the prescribed volume of data? Something like this?

»Received Letter - Using Too Little Data!