Comcast Shuts Down Customer That Exceeded Bandwidth Cap

That's such a joke, though here in Canada we've been facing the same issues for years. The best service we can get at the moment, in terms of caps is unlimited on 5Meg DSL, or 300GB/m 5Meg for $41/m. Sadly the market is pretty much cornered by a 3-headed monster Bell, Rogers and Telus, controlling something like 90% of the communications network and likely involved in collusion to continually offer less for more, like attempting to switch EVERYONE to 30Gb/month, most recently.. Hopefully our newly elected Government will continue to push for foreign investment and ownership and we can get some real competition like the US.

There's very little "real competition" even in the US; monopoly charters were granted to many providers in many municipalities years ago to "encourage infrastructure growth" so it's often impossible to find comparable services at reasonable prices. For example, my boss has a choice of 56k dialup, satellite (capped at 5GB/month), or paying to have a T-1 laid to his house and then paying over$800/month for 1.44 Mbps. There are no other options for him, period.

"While I'm and advocate for unlimited Data usage and or less restrictive measures, I think this guy in particular is a Bandwidth hog and I think that for regular folks like me and everyone else on Comcast, 250GB is more than fair, I'm mean this guy is running a freakin server with massive files. He had been warned about going the over the limit and did it again."

-Optimus

>> Median data usage for Comcast cable internet customers is 4 to 6 GBs per month, according to Douglas.

Hahaha... They're high.  That's not the median for people who actually use internet services. That's the average that you get when you throw in all the grandparents e-mail connections that are never used.

Say you go to the Steam store and download *one* of their free-to-play games. That's 8.6GB for Forgotten Worlds in *one* day. Want Global Agenda too? Now you're up to 15.1GB in one day. God forbid you have two kids and they both want the games too.  And did I mention how many more free games there are?

Reformat your computer and forgot to backup your Steam games? You'll be downloading 150GB if you're me (probably way more if your Bob <g>)... in one day. 4-6GB is a joke. I probably burn through that just streaming Internet radio stations.

I hope people on Comcast don't buy Chromebooks... They'll harassed in no time once all their data's in the cloud.

They're penalizing people for actually using the "unlimited" Internet connection that was advertised before caps, whether their use is legal or not.

DAMN! I have a 250GB limit on O2 in UK but i average about 1TB a month ( mainly Blu Ray Rips and Videogames ). I hope they dont cut me off :-(

This is just the pre-cursor for them starting to charge by the GIG. That's always been the goal.

Watch when that happens, these so called bandwith hogs will be the ISP's favorite customers and you won't hear about bandwith issues anymore from them.  On the contrary they'll probably tag those of us who download too much an "inactivity fee".

You realize that Comcast is in the US right? The competition there is a big of a joke there as it it is here. The fact is Harper is as anti-regulation as you can get and has previously said he would rather let the "free market" dictate the prices of the internet.

I average about 2TB/mo, but that's because I'm a software and web developer and I'm constantly uploading/downloading massive files to various servers, and doing rigorous daily offline backups. Fortunately I have uncapped internet service, but put simply if my bandwidth one day got capped like this I'd be put out of business if I couldn't get something uncapped.

I live in Romania and I have 100Mbps up and down, UNCAPPED, Fiber to the Home. I pay the equivalent of 22 US Dollars per month for this internet + TV. All for $22.

Abanc, that sounds wonderful.

I've had Comcast tell me I was using like 10gbs for the next month when it was still like 5 hours away. More often than not on the last day of the month, the meter is not working, making it hard to really gauge how much bandwidth you are using on the most critical day.

Anyway, when comcast contacted me about my problems (I also got the 6 month warning), it was only when I was like double the limit. I think I was 560gb, but it turned out that I had been over 250gb each of the past 4 or 5 months and they didn't do anything about it until I doubled the limit. I went over last month by like 6gb - I am very careful now - and did not receive another warning. I suspect that they give customers some leeway.

Regardless, the basic idea doesn't even make sense on its face, let alone from a business perspective. I'm sure most people who download that much don't mind being throttled if they really are contributing to bandwidth congestion (I say rank those who use the most bandwidth and those who use the most should be throttled the most if there is congestion). What they are doing is actively turning people away from their business. Indeed, it is the customers who get the most value out of their service that they are turning away. They're not even offering to charge them more or a different level of service.

I'm sure there are better ways to solve this problem.

"that's what this threshold is meant to address," said company spokesman Charlie Douglas"

That's utter bullshit because he could be downloading/uploading during off-peak when it affects no one.

The limitation doesn't stop anyone from downloading 249GB only during on-peak! If it wasn't true then the limitation would not be counted during off-peak. Plain and simple. I hope the guy somehow wins the battle.

Also it doesn't make sense how paying more would make it unlimited. If the lines truly are saturated by the laws of physics how is throwing a bit of money in the company's bank going to do anything? I mean they sure as hell won't upgrade the lines.

So, I am supposed to feel sorry for a pathetic "hipster doofus" he swears HE can "tell the difference" and therefore must have everything in lossless formats and feels the need to back up everything online?

Oh and dude...you are 39 years old. Time to lose the roommate. That will solve many problems...first, the bandwidth part. Second, the celibacy part.

It is customers like him..or you...that COST the ISP's money. People who have active lives...people who get out of the house once in awhile...people who have seen members of the opposite sex naked, and not just on a monitor...should not have to subsidize YOUR lack of a life.

Seriously...just something that should haunt you...no one will EVER say on their deathbed "I wish I had spent MORE time on the internet."

No..you wouldn't be out of business...you just couldn't use a service meant for RESIDENTIAL, NON-BUSINESS customers like you cheap ass is doing.

Yeah...but you live in Albania...so it is awash. You have nothing else to do in your country.

It is always funny when someone with no life refuses to accept their sad life.

MOST people spend less than an hour a day online.

As I said to someone else...this is something that should haunt you until the day you put a shotgun in your mouth and pull the trigger after discovering what a wasted life you have...No one will EVER say on their deathbed "I really wish I had spent MORE time online when I was alive."

Tell me something...how do you cope with years long celibacy?

so small businesses cannot exist inside of a house?

@TPost how do you know they have no sex life.... maybe their TB of data streaming is porn videos.. while watching with their partners!?? The only one with obvious celibacy issues is probably the one trying to call others on it.

While we all love a good conversation with conflicting opinions, your negative/hateful comments should be used elsewhere, where they permit trolling.

Well this is one of my major peeves about internet. I know not all places are like this but our average data is 2-4 terabytes but we get bounced around like a hot potatoe. From place that have supposed unlimited service you call check website check your bill. But then they have all these hidden caps. Or they didnt have caps they just drop you and say some crap about changing policys and blah.

Not to protect users from throttling to protect themselves. From having to actually provide the service they say. Theyre equipment is too old to actually provide the service they sign people up for.

@TPost

People who have active lives...people who get out of the house once in awhile...people who have seen members of the opposite sex naked, and not just on a monitor...

...probably wouldn't spend so much time trolling on a tech website.