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Comcast Now Charging $30 To Avoid Company's Usage Caps

Comcast has modified its usage cap "trials" and will begin charging users a $30 premium if they want to avoid being capped. In current trial markets, users face a 300 GB monthly cap, after which users have to pay $10 for each additional 50 GB of usage. According to Comcast usage trial FAQ changes noticed by DSLReports, users in the Florida trial markets now have the choice of paying a $30 premium on top of their current monthly rate to avoid usage caps.

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"The Unlimited Data Option provides additional choice and flexibility for our customers who may make heavier use of the Internet," notes the updated Comcast FAQ.

"The Unlimited Data Option costs the current additional fee of $30 per calendar month, regardless of actual data usage," states Comcast. "Note that customers enrolled in the Unlimited Data Option who use less than 300 GB in a given month will still be charged $30 for that month," the FAQ informs.

Comcast's intent on this front has been clear for some time. Comcast lobbyist and VP David Cohen last year strongly suggested that usage caps would be arriving for all Comcast customers sooner or later. The idea of charging users a premium to avoid arbitrary usage restrictions has been a pipe dream of incumbent ISP executives for a decade.

The problem? They're hugely unpopular with US consumers, who already pay some of the highest rates for broadband in all developed nations. So some companies interested in this route have moved slowly in the hopes that consumer outrage can be minimized (think of the boiling frog anecdote).

Comcast's usage-cap trials have slowly but surely expanded since first being announced back in 2012. Currently, the trials are underway in Huntsville; Mobile; Tucson; Atlanta; Augusta; Savannah; Central Kentucky; Maine; Jackson; Tupelo; Knoxville; Memphis; Nashville; Tennessee; and Charleston. Fort Lauderdale, the Florida Keys, and Miami will be the latest trial expansion starting October 1.

While the cable industry has tried to insist usage caps are necessary to handle congestion, it has since backed away from that justification and now insists that caps are necessary due to fairness. Critics and consumer advocates instead argue that bandwidth costs are dropping, congestion and fairness are red herrings when talking about well-managed modern fixed-line networks, and usage caps are about one thing: protecting legacy TV revenues from Internet video.

What do you think, readers? Is paying a $30 premium on top of Comcast's existing rates worth it? Should data usage policies exist, and if so, what should they be?

Most recommended from 107 comments



camper
just visiting this planet
Premium Member
join:2010-03-21
Bethel, CT

42 recommendations

camper

Premium Member

So Comcast's data caps are really little more than a money grab

It's not about managing network utilization, it is about extracting more money from customer checking accounts.

Jim721
join:2014-07-31
Belleville, MI

24 recommendations

Jim721

Member

NO !!

NO way would i be willing to pay $30.00 extra i already pay a premium price now for my internet service 78.95 a month wihout a promo. These blood suckers never give up on ways to suck more money out of its customers. GREED There is no reason in 2015 there needs to be a cap on data usage with residential accounts.
kaila
join:2000-10-11
Lincolnshire, IL

19 recommendations

kaila

Member

Enough already

Comcast is clearly doing something wrong if they can't make a go of it at prices they charge and transit costs damn near zero.

I'm good with someone getting pinged if they are using terabytes of data and it impacts other users they share hardware with. I'm not good with attempting to monetize some percentage of their captive user base just because they want to watch internet video.

DadeMurphy
Premium Member
join:2002-07-25
Danvers, MA

19 recommendations

DadeMurphy

Premium Member

Why not this...

Instead of $30 more to avoid the caps how about they give a $30 discount if you elect to be capped.
Body Count
join:2010-09-11
Columbus, OH

17 recommendations

Body Count

Member

Just a way...

This is just a way to get back at all the cord cutters who just have internet service and streaming. Stream hulu and netflix all day you're gonna hit your cap which they can charge extra for now.

whfsdude
Premium Member
join:2003-04-05
Washington, DC

16 recommendations

whfsdude

Premium Member

Needs Higher Caps

The current caps are too low and need to be raised. However, offering an unlimited tier seems like a reasonable offering for heavy data users. It was kind of silly to force residential customers to go through the process of getting business service when Comcast could have just added an unlimited tier in capped markets.
GTFan
join:2004-12-03
Austell, GA

13 recommendations

GTFan

Member

It's all about lack of competition

Dammit I wish Google would start delivering fiber here in the ATL like they promised so Comcast will mysteriously then end this 'trial' and we can go back to being uncapped.
ExoticFish
join:2008-08-31
Zebulon, NC

11 recommendations

ExoticFish

Member

What happened to this ?

A contradiction, no ?

»[NEWS] Comcast VP Admits Caps Are About Making Money, Not Engineering
jhemze
join:2010-09-05
Osseo, MN

10 recommendations

jhemze

Member

My kids last 3 months of usage

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13 and 15 year old gaming/streaming....

FureverFurry
RIP Daphne: 3/12/05 - 6/19/12
Premium Member
join:2012-02-20
49xxx
Zoom 5341J
ARRIS WBM760
Vonage VDV-21

8 recommendations

FureverFurry

Premium Member

What's next ?

Depending upon how well the $30/mo bribe (I mean, "fee") works for no caps, I wonder what's next?

- $15/mo to avoid paying the $10/mo modem fee
- $10/mo to have an accurate bill
- $25 to get the $20 customer on-time guarantee

So much revenue for them to pickpocket from customers/so little time.

MysteryMeet
@comcast.net

8 recommendations

MysteryMeet

Anon

How much data is advertising

It would be interesting to know how much data being used is actually advertising.

rebus9
join:2002-03-26
Tampa Bay

8 recommendations

rebus9

Member

Corrected

"The Unlimited Data Option provides additional choice and flexibility revenue opportunities for our customers us when customers who may make heavier make full use of the Internet," notes the updated Comcast FAQ.

There, I fixed it.
ihaveworms
join:2015-08-25

7 recommendations

ihaveworms

Member

Always exceling at failing

I am in one of the 300gb trial torture areas and just switched from comcast to WOW last week with one of the reasons being the data caps. So glad to be off of them.
raythompsontn
join:2001-01-11
Oliver Springs, TN

7 recommendations

raythompsontn

Member

Usage Caps are due to Video Streaming

Comcast feels threatened by video streaming from various streaming services. If this is allowed to continue such streaming will severely cut into Comcast's video market. People will start dropping the TV portion of Comcast. To avoid that scenario the easiest method for Comcast is to restrict your internet. Stream too much video and you go over the caps and get slammed with excessive usage fees.

Caps are not about congestion, it is about stopping people from dropping TV.
neufuse
join:2006-12-06
James Creek, PA

6 recommendations

neufuse

Member

meter...

Funny, this whole past month I can not see my usage meter... only "currently not available"... and as of today, still nothing.... if they want to cap at all they need to ENSURE that we can see this meter anytime we want to... not be left wondering what we are at.... we can read our electrical , gas, water, meters all we want just fine... no "currently not available" notices on them.....

devjonfos
Premium Member
join:2004-06-04
99999

5 recommendations

devjonfos

Premium Member

The internet should be regulated as a utility.

I want an internet connection, not an entertainment connection. But I'm constrained by a company that is not an internet utility company, but rather a middleman for entertainment content. With an internet connection regulated as a utility, I could go directly to my entertainment sources, without Comcast interfering by creating "must have TV service" deals with content providers. Or by placing roadblocks to content providers like Netflix by forcing them into expensive content delivery deals. "The merged entity's incentive to harm edge providers and diminish competition in the video marketplace is well established." Source: Netflix hand-delivered 256 pages to the US government arguing that Comcast should not be allowed to acquire Time Warner Cable.

I started with Comcast eight years ago at 6Mbps. My internet speed has roughly doubled every few years. I'm now at 150Mbps for my tier. My bill summary is attached. I managed to dodge the ever increasing modem rental fee several years ago when I purchased my cable modem, SB6121. As other posters have said the modem rental fees and now the ridiculously low usage caps are another way to ding the cord cutters and keep the Comcast coffers full.

A actual internet utility company with a reasonable fee based on data usage would solve many problems. But corporate self-preservation will keep Comcast around for many years while we all suffer the effects of corporate greed.

Comcast is a middleman that we don't need in the 21st century. Let's get rid of the entertainment broker that nobody wants. We should all advocate for internet service to be regulated as a utility separate from traditional TV service. Let your voices be heard at the FCC.
Windfarmer
daeligt kaeligps no mr
join:2015-08-30

5 recommendations

Windfarmer

Member

Go try living with Verizon Home Fusion

30gb - $120.00
$10.00 every gig you go over.
And there's no uncapping.
It all we can get in the boonies.

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

4 recommendations

tshirt

Premium Member

sounds about like the premium...

...they used to add for "business" accounts.
And "only $1 a day" is a market-speak toehold. ($0.99 actual sells better, but even the Dollar store charges more than a buck)

may need to see how many takers there are at this level.

jazzlady
join:2005-08-04
Tannersville, PA

4 recommendations

jazzlady

Member

Usage- they watch YOU...

And who watches THEM?

My ISP just instituted hard usage caps and overages- same thing- $10 for every 50GB.

What I want to know is who monitors the ISP's usage meters to make sure they are accurate?

How do you know you're not going to check your meter and find that it's been jacked up 100 gigs overnight when you know damn well all you did was check your email and pay some bills?

There needs to be oversight on this to insure the customer is getting what they pay for. They have a financial incentive for people to go over their cap, with no monitoring whatsoever to make sure customers aren't getting screwed.

This is bullshit.
shmerl
join:2013-10-21

3 recommendations

shmerl

Member

FCC should forbid rip off caps by law

That's the only way to stop Comcast and the like.

greg
Greg
Premium Member
join:2003-05-30
Louisville, KY

3 recommendations

greg

Premium Member

Point of order!

Remember, folks, Comcast doesn't have caps, they have 'data thresholds' which are totally seriously not the same thing as caps.

»Comcast: We Don't Have Caps, We Have 'Data Thresholds' [121] comments

mikesco8
join:2006-02-17
Southwick, MA

3 recommendations

mikesco8

Member

Just brings back the...

Feelings of euphoria I had when the merger got struck down! Comcast sure works hard at trying to be the head of the evil three.
Kuro
join:2014-10-01

2 recommendations

Kuro

Member

Ridiculously high price

They want to tack on a 50-100+% monthly fee to get out of a data cap. How is this not robbery?

davidc502
join:2002-03-06
Mount Juliet, TN

2 recommendations

davidc502

Member

Testing the waters

Keep in mind boys and girls, Comcast is just testing the waters with this idea.

Obviously Comcast is looking for new revenue streams, and if people are willing to spend the money, they will offer it. After all, it's a pretty good deal to charge someone for something it doesn't cost Comcast anything to provide.

Analogy: You've just been sold a Mustang GT, but has a governor that will only allow someone to drive 300 miles a week. Now, if the customer is willing to pay an extra 3000 dollars, the company will take the governor off which will allow you to drive as much as you want. Usually governors are used to govern speed, but we are talking about usage here, so I changed it up a bit Still, a very similar situation.