Comcast sets usage cap for Internet users

[NC_Nurse]

Source: WSJ Marketwatch

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Comcast Corp. is up to its old tricks, as it seeks to rid its network of customers who use peer-to-peer networks that clog up bandwidth.

Last month, Comcast was ordered by the Federal Communications Commission to disclose its current and future network management practices and to stop blocking Internet traffic by the end of the year. The company had been blocking users of peer-to-peer networks by delaying their accessing to certain Web sites such as BitTorrent and others. See full story.
The cable giant quietly posted a new policy on its Web site, telling customers it has updated its "Acceptable Use Policy." Comcast (CMCSA:







21.18, -0.48, -2.2%) told customers that starting on Oct. 1 it will set a new monthly usage threshold for customers, of 250 gigabytes a month of data usage, for all Comcast residential customers. See Comcast's disclosure here.
But Comcast did not issue a press release or send direct announcements to consumers. In the interest of full disclosure, I am a Comcast customer, and I did not receive any kind of e-mail notification of this news, which would be a more direct and timely manner of disclosure
The company says on its Web site that it is taking several steps to notify customers, including running banners on Comcast.net and it will include an insert, or a "billing stuffer" in their next bill. In my opinion, Comcast's headline on Comcast.net, saying it has updated its "Acceptable Use Policy," is not exactly a headline many consumers will see.

Read more: http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/comcast-quietly-sets-usage-cap/story.aspx?guid=%7B1F49F282%2DE1D5%2D40AC%2DA603%2DBA4E6576BFA0%7D

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This really pisses me off....

[Massacure]

1. Comcast must be trying to drive business to their competitors.

They are the only cable company that I can think of that do this.

[sam sarrha]

2. dont worry the rest will catch up soon...

[aquart]

3. Any competitor in the area could exploit this idiocy.

[Greyhound]

20. What competitors?

Every place I've lived where they operate, they are the only cable company. I've had the same experience with Adelphia and a third company that I can't remember the name of, in Atlanta.

[Phred42]

4. DAmn - this may force me to ATT

and I hate them too

[PassingFair]

15. Right. Because AT&T would NEVER form a monopoly ....

and squeeze the life out of us!

[Phred42]

16. LOL - by George I think you got it

[diddlysquat]

5. How can you tell if you are

approaching this amount?

[onenote]

6. just keep track. when you've sent 49 million emails in one month

you'll only have another million before you hit the limit.

Or if you've downloaded 124 movies in a month (4 per day), you can only download one more

Or if you've downloaded 62,000 songs (2000 a day) you can only download another 500

Or if you've uploaded 24,000 hi-resolution digital photos you've only got another 1,000 you can do that month.

These limits will not affect the overwhelming majority of users.

[jumptheshadow]

22. Will it affect the following users?

1) Home workers who upload and download internet graphics files?

2) Gamers?

[Piewhacket]

7. Limit speed, not content...

it is legitimate to limit speed, but not to control content.

the proposed bandwidth limit is intended, or has the effect,
to limit or permit limitations on content. It is the backdoor
means of doing what Comcast has just been prohibited from doing
(in secret) and fined. And, it is yet another regulatory chink which will produce
a 'race to the bottom' for all providers.

The fine was a pittance, btw.

But it especially threatens Net Neutrality as it justifies
tracking content use, with potential for censorship and content
control (government controlled propaganda), as we are already
seeing in other media, and which is especially toxic
and dangerous in a free society when there is no free
(as in liberty) media.

Yet WE the PEOPLE OWN the communication system, not the corporations.
The people below are your representatives, but apparently need to
be actively reminded that the BIG BOSS is WATCHING THEM, and that
the BOSS has a long memory.

http://www.fcc.gov/commissioners/

here's the chickenshit whackjob who's been facilitating and protecting telecoms
for the last 8 years. Well, ok, chickenshit whack-job is not actually
his "official" title, its Chairman (chickenshit whackjob) Martin,
if you please.

Don't blame him too much, he's just a toadie, we all know that.
He's just following orders (from the telecoms).
But I'm sure he would still be pleased to hear from you on this issue.

[merwin]

8. There is nothing in there about a 250GB limit.

Maybe they re-updated it. It just says if your usage is determined to be atypical of a residential customer, then they can suspend your service... which is bullshit as well.

[lonestarnot]

9. One little piece at a time.

I hope you are really pissed. :evilgrin:

[skoalyman]

10. here in canton ohio time warner has a monoply

and the prices are getting outrageous I had to go back to basic internet service because of it luckily I hardly ever download anything.

[no limit]

11. If this means they'll stop shaping traffic 333MB an hour / 8GB a day works for me.

[Gregorian]

12. 250 gigs is HUGE! I'm limited to two 5 gigs.

I had to spend money for two services. That's over a hundred bucks per month just to have ten gigs.

I would be so damned happy to have 250 gigs. It's not an issue unless it becomes a continuiong policy. But even then they'd have a long long way to go to hit 10 gigs.

Ten gigs is two long movies, constant streaming of audio all day and night, at about 50kps, DU day and night, big photo websites.

[entanglement]

13. True, but they're testing the waters with this move - if consumers accept this, expect industrywide

limits.

[sam sarrha]

14. that is a lot of porno..!!

[high density]

18. Earlier this week I watched at least 6 hours of the convention online

I don't know what the bitrate of that was, but I'd bet it was at least 3mbps. That's 1.35gb per hour...

Not many people are going to hit the 250gb limit, though I think I'd rather see Comcast throttle heavy users instead of capping them.

[Trillo]

17. People could start sharing their access with each other.

Neighbor to neighbor, or ultra local. Such as http://swing.cs.uiuc.edu/projects/perm/download.php

Later, it might expand to block to block. Then some enterprising techies will figure out how to point a laser from hill to hill (house to house, mile or more in distance), modulate them for communication and have local pipelines. If the telecoms aren't careful, a new Internet system that largely wires around them might evolve. Maybe they can get the contract to wire from town to town.... Lots less biz though!

[1]

19. i have limits like this already...

the only way i can get (afford) internet access out here is via satellite. and all satellite providers have some sort of "fair access policy". at my current plan my limit is 250mb per day (more if i wanted to pay.) if i exceed 250mb i'm basically cut-off for 24 hours.

they do provide usage data (updated hourly) so i can check if i'm getting close, and there is a three hour window every night (2-5am) where unlimited downloading is allowed. if i need any large files i have to schedule them to download in the wee hours.

it sucks, but i have no alternatives...

[Inuca]

23. I am in the exactly same situation

and I HATE it, but haveno other choice. How do you check your usage data? I keep getting unpleasant surprises, when I thought that I was "behaving". Practically I cannot watch any video more that 10 minutes or so. My limit is I think 200MB. So no, I am sorry, my heart is not bleeding for the Comcast customers (I used to be one before I moved in the middle of nowhere).

[Shoelace]

21. I want to off Comcast! Does satellite tv actually work?

Comcast has overcharged us for months and I can't get them to take off all the extra charges. I'm ready to dump them.
We are in Oregon and don't have access to Verizon. Qwest is our only choice so far. We've never tried satellite tv so am curious as to whether it does work?

[Inuca]

24. TV or Internet?

TV is fine, I have no problem, except of course weather related. Internet (Hughes) - very expensive, much slower than cable, and very tight download limits (see messages just above). Forget about satellite Internet if you have a cable or DSL alternative.

[tinrobot]

25. DirecTV works great.

But I get my internet from someone else, so it costs more.