AT&T Starts Capping Broadband

[democracy1st]

The days of all-you-can-surf broadband are vanishing.

AT&T this week began capping its Internet delivery service for broadband and DSL customers. The move comes 11 months after it placed similar caps on its mobile customers.

U-Verse -- AT&T's high-speed broadband, television and telephone network -- now limits customers to 250 gigabytes of Internet usage each month. DSL users are capped at 150 GB. Customers who exceed the limits will have to pay $10 for each additional 50 GB.

AT&T moved in June to set pricing tiers for its mobile customers, offering light users a plan that maxes out at 200 megabytes. The company also sells a pricier 2 GB plan. AT&T (NYSE: T - News) remains the outlier among the three major wireless companies, though Sprint (NYSE: S - News) and Verizon (NYSE: VZ - News) Wireless are expected to follow suit with caps soon.


More from CNNMoney.com:

• New iPhone, iPad Limits: 2 GB Won't Get You Far

• 7% of Americans Subscribe to Netflix

• One in Eight to Cut Cable and Satellite TV in 2010


But AT&T isn't alone in instituting restrictions on residential broadband usage.

Comcast (Nasdaq: CMCSA - News) -- by far the largest broadband provider in the U.S. -- also has a 250 GB cap, and Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC - News) experimented with a tiered billing service in some markets in 2008. Though broadband caps are a relatively new phenomenon in the United States, variations on Internet cap structures are quite common in Canada, Asia and in European countries.

http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/112671/att-capping-broadband-cnnmoney

[northoftheborder]

1. How does one measure his usage?

[liberal N proud]

23. I saw this in Europe - they give you your remaining time as you log on

Each time you go the net, you see a screen that indicates how much time or usage you have left.

[ChromeFoundry]

39. you have to register here:

https://uversecentral4.att.com/uvp/myhome/bbu

This link is for DSL and U-Verse usage reports.

[Earth_First]

2. They had best be glving their consumers a heads up before exceeding thier usage...

Of course, it will be better to ask for forgiveness than permission, methinks...

[Lucian]

3. Great.

We're reverting back to the days of dial-up and watching our usage.

Just another way for the corporations to screw us.

Why is everyone getting rid of unlimited internet?

[Fool Count]

16. Because they are running out of capacity with copper

and need money for massive investment into fiberoptics infrastructure.

[Lucian]

22. Why don't they use some of their profits to upgrade the infrastructure?

[Fool Count]

24. Because their executives and big shareholders need to

maintain their lifestyles. That's why.

[BIGFOOTSDADDY333]

36. they are not running out of copper. b/c

of cells phone they are losing land lines freeing up copper, now they do alot of dry loops(phone lines with dsl and no dial tone) but there is still lots and lots of copper. in addition at&t is installing a lot of fiber optic freeing up even more copper. att is flush with copper.

[steve2470]

4. I'm SO glad I don't have AT&T or Comcast...

However, I fear this may be a trend to all broadband users. This is a move for higher profits, nothing more.

[shanti]

9. i have comcast broadband

(yech!) the internet is up on my laptop for about 12-14 hours a day, 7 days a week. i haven't noticed any throttling. On edit, does this include netflix streaming, because i use that too (not a lot though).

[steve2470]

11. I read your limit is either 100 gigs or 250 gigs per month

That's great if you never approach the limit.

[shanti]

13. i'm not sure if i do or not!

but my bill hasn't changed, and i haven't been cut off....yet.

[Piltdown13]

43. In many markets, you can check your usage

Comcast itself has a metering tool attached to user accounts -- you can get there by signing into your account as you would to pay your bill online. I'm not sure if they've rolled it out in all cities, though -- I know we got it later than some other folks did.

[some guy]

45. I'll say we need to watch our bills.

I am set up similarly to you. I haven't noticed any changes yet either.

I haven't read anything from Comcast notifying me of changes, so either they haven't switched me yet, they're not going to switch me, or I missed the notice.

[givemebackmycountry]

5. And then there is THIS:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=228&topic_id=78457

The United States is the Flinstones/Bedrock of internet speeds.

[peace4ever]

6. putting up toll booths on the information super highway

hmmm... theres no end to the profits to be made once you have everyone hooked.

[kestrel91316]

7. How many gigabites does an hour on DU cost me? One? Five? 100??

How can we limit our usage of the internet if they are using units that have no meaning to non-techies??

[steve2470]

8. this article might help you

http://www.simplehelp.net/2007/09/09/how-to-monitor-your-internet-bandwidth-usage-in-windows/

I've never used this application, though.

[Egnever]

17. It would be nearly impossible to reach those caps just browsing DU

You would have to watch every video posted to come close and even then I doubt you could hit those caps. Having said that the internet increasingly delivers advertisements that chew up that bandwith more and more and watching the trend I can see those caps getting smaller and smaller by the day.

[peace4ever]

20. but listening to music, and watching movies online will get you there pretty quickly

before you even begin to surf.

[Egnever]

28. Absolutely

This is a bullshit move from these guys as unless they run at full bandwidth capacity the costs for them are pretty much the same if 10% is used or 90%. Not to mention adding bandwidth is not an insurmountable task they know how to do it and could quite easily to keep up with what is going to be an increased demand no matter what.

This is them getting this crap put in while it still ownt affect many customers but it wont be long before it affects a whole lot more people.

As I said elsewhere though you can lay this directly at the feet of the dont let anyone get more than me folks.

"Our approach is based on customers' feedback," said Mark Siegel, spokesman for AT&T. "They told us that the people who use the most should pay more, and they also told us we should make it easy for them to track their usage. We think our approach addresses these concerns."


Never mind that those that use more have little or no impact on their use whatsoever, its all just screw them they are getting more than me for the same money thats not fair!

The sad part is ten years from now when these same people are paying more because they are now hitting the cap thanks to endless advertisements on every web page they will be wondering why, and screaming how they are being screwed.

[dixiegrrrrl]

37. Would ad blocking programs be helpful in this situation or not?

I am not clear at what point the ad is being blocked.

[madinmaryland]

18. At least the Freepers have nothing to worry about. They go through kilobytes per hour!!

:rofl:

[barbtries]

10. were they going to tell us???

i've heard nothing and i have at&t dsl

[steve2470]

14. A link that may apply to you:

http://www.att.com/esupport/internet/usage.jsp#fbid=9uK0nwuKQWP

Main AT&T DSL link: http://www.att.com/dsl/#fbid=ch2sntcDrTf

[1620rock]

15. Read the entire article, it says that only 2% of users will be affected.

[Egnever]

21. Completely dishonest

A the net is constantly evolving and advertising is becoming ever more prevalent. Those adds are increasingly chewing up more and more bandwith.

the funny thing is once again we have only our own greed to blame for this.

"Our approach is based on customers' feedback," said Mark Siegel, spokesman for AT&T. "They told us that the people who use the most should pay more, and they also told us we should make it easy for them to track their usage. We think our approach addresses these concerns."

Notice they aren't lowering peoples bills that stay under the cap they are just charging people who hit it more, So the customers basically said hey your making a ton of cash selling us internet connectivity but we hate the idea that someone is using it more than we are so make more money off those folks they deserve it.

Americans are fuckwits with their keep up with the joneses mentality.

[SoCalDem]

19. They will "tell" you when they tack on a whole bunch of extra fees

on your bill:(

[OhioChick]

12. AT&T Users Already Complaining About Inaccurate Meters

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=439&topic_id=756226

[glen123098]

25. I signed a 1 year contract with ATT

I signed it before the bandwidth cap was announced. Does this bandwidth cap apply to me before my contract expires?

[OhioChick]

26. Yes n/t

[glen123098]

29. If thats true its fucking bullshit.

I never agreed to a bandwidth cap, and if ATT is gonna impose one on me while Im under contract, as far as I am concerned, they are breaching contract.

[steve2470]

31. this might apply to you:

AT&T High Speed Internet Terms of Service Update


Terms of Service FAQs



AT&T is updating its High Speed Internet Terms of Service effective May 2, 2011. We are making these changes to provide greater clarity around the terms of your service and to help us deliver a consistent, high-quality service experience for all of our customers.



Why is AT&T changing its Terms of Service?
This is our first update to the Terms of Service since 2009. This is required because we have made changes and improvements to our operations and our Services in the years since the last update.

http://www.att.com/esupport/article.jsp?sid=KB400363&cv=102#fbid=qIb0xGGUm6Q

[glen123098]

33. I never agreed to these terms

I agreed to the former terms. ATT just cant change the terms in the middle of a contract, at least not without letting me leave the contract. I dont have the means to sue ATT but I hope someone starts a class action against them so I can join in.

[steve2470]

34. I agree with you. Good luck nt

[Shandris]

44. They sent your AT&T account an email with all that tripe on it.

In the middle of the tripe somewhere, it specifically says that using the broadband service a single time after the changeover date -- also in the email -- constitutes your acceptance of the changed terms.

[glen123098]

46. I never recieved that email./

Ive checked and they have never sent it. And if I tried to cancel, they'd charge me a cancelation feel, so I dont have the ability to freely consent.

[Initech]

27. I'm looking at cancellation fees. Fuck AT&T, time to switch to Sprint!

[salin]

32. I have dumped cable - and use sprint (cell - and wireless broadband)

I know some folks aren't thrilled with Sprint - but I have been well served for five years or more.

[Initech]

35. I'm looking at their $69.99 a month plan.

I had a friend of mine who switched from AT&T (had iPhone 4) to Sprint (now has Evo) and he said he pays like half of what he had with AT&T.

[salin]

47. I don't know how much less I am or am not paying per month for the phone

or internet - but the combined saving when added to dropping cable altogether - (tv is digital/antennae - in a city so still get some variety) - is pretty big. I work/live between two cities - to the mobile (wireless) is very convenient.

[Egnever]

30. These asshats are getting this in place now

Before everyone starts reaching these limits.

The only way i would agree to something like this even a little bit is with that cap came the ability to block every single advertisement on the web. Even then I would hard pressed to accept it.

[Warren DeMontague]

38. Yeah, well, I already have close to a Terabyte of Grateful Dead soundboards.

So fuck you, AT&T.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

40. FUCK!!! I left Comcast and switched to AT&Shit. What other options are there in Chicago? I guess

Clear but I haven't read good things about the connection.

[greiner3]

41. Time to start 'War Walking' again.

[ThomCat]

42. They can rig those usage amounts though.

By pinging you repeatedly, or remotely logging into your equipment repeatedly, and charging you for the "usage" they incur "checking" your status, and checking your equipment, and logging in for no reason at all they can inflate your usage so you get far fewer GB than you are supposedly paying for. If you really need all of that usage, you don't get it, and have to pay for more.

Of course, just in time, the Supreme Court just passed a ruling preventing people from joining together in class action lawsuits, so people will be forced to sue AT&T individually for deliberately inaccurate metering, and for charging customers for AT&T's "maintenance" usage.