Comcast Plans Data Caps For All Customers

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While the rest of the planet is already way ahead of us in speed and pricing, Comcast plans to stick with data caps and usage-based billing. Nice. :rolleyes:

A Comcast executive said he expects the company will roll out "usage-based billing"—what most people call "data caps"—to all of its customers within five years. Speaking with investors today, Comcast Executive VP David Cohen said, "I would predict that in five years Comcast at least would have a usage-based billing model rolled out across its footprint."
 
This sucks for all US based customers. I say the only way to get cheap, fast internet is to move out of the country. Of course, my household, 2 people, only use about 60GB per month on TWC. Don't have Netflix or Hulu, but I do watch some TV shows online and watch a bit of Youtube.
 
going to suck because pretty soon all US based internet is going to end up being like cell 3g/4g service where you get some abysmal amount to use and then pay through the nose for more or you'll get throttled to some abysmal speed.
 
@$&!
Might have to switch ISP's in the next five years. Is Time Warner any good? lol. Damnit, I don't want to worry about data caps. America Online is dead for a reason.
 
Now is the time to start dropping EMPs on their datacenters and their corporate offices. Shut them down and keep them down.
 
At least in my neighborhood there is some kind of competition, DSL and cable to keep it fare.
 
So does this mean my monthly cable bill will drop if I don't use it much? Or will I still have to pay a base fee of $50/mo for a slow connection?
 
I know quite a few people think Google is the devil but I'll sell my soul to Google if they combat this with open neutral fiber and no caps.
 
So does this mean my monthly cable bill will drop if I don't use it much? Or will I still have to pay a base fee of $50/mo for a slow connection?

Do you even have to ask that? :)

You'll be paying $5 MORE per month AND have a data cap, and they'll tell you it's a good thing.
 
I guess Google Fiber and FiOS should be seeing a boom soon, I think COMCAST was the last "Big" provider that had no data caps (in general).
 
They'll tell you it's a good thing then frame it with the 1999 marketing theme of how many email, pictures, and songs you can download with your 300gb...man this country needs a crash and reboot in so many areas.
 
@$&!
Might have to switch ISP's in the next five years. Is Time Warner any good? lol. Damnit, I don't want to worry about data caps. America Online is dead for a reason.

TWC isn't bad, but comcast just bought them..so..yea :(
 
They are hurting from people cutting the cable TV cord and going Netflix/hulu/amazon etc... Their outdated sales model of 100 channels I don't need don't work for me or most others. So losing their $ on selling you content they will just cost shift this over to the internet side and at the same time nerf their contracts with any remaining TV content providers(shows/channels they buy for resale) telling them about a declining user base. All the while making more and more $ as we all know that someone using 10GB or 150GB isn't costing Comcast more than a few $ more a month. Data is so cheap for them to supply on the grand scale they do it, but they'd rather ration it so they don't have to invest as much in infrastructure to provide the same performance.
 
apologies all for that horrible run on sentence and lack of punctuation :O. I was pretty riled up and a couple beers into the evening when reading this lol.
 
I'm glad I've transitioned over to Verizon FIOS and saved money. Don't get me wrong, I really hate Verizon for engaging in many of the same hostilities as Comcast, but they are slightly better at the moment. However, I am worried that if Comcast makes this move, it will encourage others to do the same because hey,...where else can we go since these petulant children own the lines in the ground?! See, the point of subsidy is to allow private industry to serve the public good and have some of the costs thereof deferred for doing so. Sadly, this nation has forgotten that private interests need to serve to the ultimate public good, not the other way around.

The day can't come fast enough when we take back the lines we paid for from these greedy thieves, nationalize the broadband fiber and mobile tower infrastructure, and enact strong regulations to benefit the public with the Internet as a necessary utility. I've said it before and I'll say it again, the Internet infrastructure is as important to this country's quality of life this century as the Interstate Highway System was to the last, and it should be treated as such.
 
and the rape of the American people by corp America continues in hong kong 1gbps is like 20 bucks the companies tried to pull the shit they pull here would never fly overseas. free market only works to rape the consumer at every chance it gets
 
and the rape of the American people by corp America continues in hong kong 1gbps is like 20 bucks the companies tried to pull the shit they pull here would never fly overseas. free market only works to rape the consumer at every chance it gets
No, a free market works for the benefit of the consumer; we don't have a free market, though. We have cronyism and municipality-granted franchise monopolies. That's hardly a free market.
 
google+fiber.jpg
 
I stopped buying CD's when the crooks at the RIAA started ruining people's lives with lawsuits. I stopped buying Sony when they installed rootkits via music CD's. I cut the cord over the inexplicable monthly increases in my cable bill. And if my ISP tries to enforce data caps I will move on to a (likely) shitty ISP that doesn't. You have to take a stand even if it means a little sacrifice!
 
They'll tell you it's a good thing then frame it with the 1999 marketing theme of how many email, pictures, and songs you can download with your 300gb...man this country needs a crash and reboot in so many areas.

This.

Comcast sucks so much ass. They are going to die hard one day.
 
I guess Google Fiber and FiOS should be seeing a boom soon, I think COMCAST was the last "Big" provider that had no data caps (in general).

FIOS is pretty much dead I thought. Verizon had no plan to continue with it or did they change their minds?
 
I love my North State fiber connection. 80/30 and no data caps for only $40 per month. Sure it could be faster, but at least it's priced half of what TWC would charge for a slower connection.
 
According to the article, the cost for going through the data cap actually does not sound bad. It sounds like they are gearing this towards the 2% that overwhelmingly use the most bandwidth. I still don't buy it out of principle, but I think I understand why they are proposing this. How many people here would be using more than 300gb a month? You could watch a Netflix movie every day and still come nowhere close to the cap.
 
According to the article, the cost for going through the data cap actually does not sound bad. It sounds like they are gearing this towards the 2% that overwhelmingly use the most bandwidth. I still don't buy it out of principle, but I think I understand why they are proposing this. How many people here would be using more than 300gb a month? You could watch a Netflix movie every day and still come nowhere close to the cap.

I transferred nearly 1.4TB last month.
 
When it comes to netflix, it will be triple dipping. Customer's pay, netflix pays, and oh wait you want to stream HD too? Pay up even more dear customer.
 
This kind of news makes me so happy I live in the North East! Yeah our winter was brutal and sucked ass but my ISP has zero caps and no throttling. For 200 channels and 50/25 package of which I always get 60 down, I pay $79 at the end of the month.

They just care about getting money and that's about it.
 
Just vote with your wallet guys. If you dont like Cable then switch to DSL. If you dont like DSL then go fuck yourself. So many choices.
 
Because the whole world wants Australian based Internet because it's soooooooo great :rolleyes:.
 
and the rape of the American people by corp America continues in hong kong 1gbps is like 20 bucks the companies tried to pull the shit they pull here would never fly overseas. free market only works to rape the consumer at every chance it gets

Considering that most people have 1 or 2, maybe 3 options for a decent internet connection other than dialup, this is not a free market.

If we had a free market, I'd be able to ditch comcast based on their policies and choose another provider. Instead I can ditch comcast and go with (cue the tumbleweed rolling past) nobody. My alternative is a 1mbps line from AT&T, and we know they're the embodiment of providing what consumers ask for.
 
No, a free market works for the benefit of the consumer; we don't have a free market, though. We have cronyism and municipality-granted franchise monopolies. That's hardly a free market.

And free market of which you talk is a pipe dream. It has never existed, does not exist now, and will never exist.

Why? "Corporations are people too, my friend". You're mistaken, that isn't "cronyism" that is "speech".
 
No, a free market works for the benefit of the consumer; we don't have a free market, though. We have cronyism and municipality-granted franchise monopolies. That's hardly a free market.

Bah, I forgot to mention something. Even if cost weren't an issue, if it were a truly free market, then I should be able to pay for another ISP to run a line to my home. I cannot, as the city(and none of the cities in the area) would allow such a thing to occur, regardless of whether or not I foot the entire bill for construction.
 
So... leaks like this... help justify WHY buying out Time Warner Cable would be a massive monopoly, right? RIGHT?

Seriously... the fuck man..
 
I transferred nearly 1.4TB last month.

5 Roku's, two kids, all of our movies and most regular content streaming, plus my internet habit put me in the 1.2TB range last month as well. As soon as they start enforcing caps, I am going to have to go Business Class. I don't have any comparable-speed service, which sucks because I live in one of the biggest cities in the country. Its either Comcast's 57d/12u or DSL 6d/1u in my neighborhood.
 
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