Charter tells FCC consumers want data caps

[spartaman64]

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Charter Communications has claimed to the Federal Communications Commission that broadband users enjoy having Internet plans with data caps, in a filing arguing that Charter should be allowed to impose caps on its Spectrum Internet service starting next year.

Charter isn't currently allowed to impose data caps because of conditions the FCC placed on its 2016 purchase of Time Warner Cable. The data-cap condition is scheduled to expire on May 18, 2023, but Charter in June petitioned the FCC to let the condition expire two years early, in May 2021.

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"Contrary to Stop The Cap's assertion [in an FCC filing] that consumers 'hate' data caps, the marketplace currently shows that broadband service plans incorporating data caps or other usage-based pricing mechanisms are often popular when the limits are sufficiently high to satisfy the vast majority of users," Charter told the FCC.

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Charter's filing continued:

There is also evidence that some consumers—either those who do not consume a lot of data and/or those who are looking for a lower-cost plan—may want a service where prices are based on the amount of data used... These different plans are proliferating in the market because they offer consumers a cost-effective alternative to unlimited data plans that are more than adequate to meet their needs. The DC/UBP [data caps and usage-based pricing] Condition, however, prevents Charter from keeping pace with its competitors and offering consumers the kinds of plans they are looking for. While Charter sees value in providing its service without data caps or UBP and has no plans to change that practice, Charter reasonably seeks the same flexibility that all of its competitors and peers have to manage data usage. This way if circumstances change, it has flexibility to offer the service packages its customers want.

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Charter neglected to mention that home-Internet providers generally don't charge customers less when they don't use much data. Instead, the price is usually the same regardless of whether one uses 10GB a month or 1.2TB. Cable customers who exceed a data cap have to pay extra fees, but aside from some limited exceptions, they don't get a discount off the base price when they stay under the cap.

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Charter's petition also asks the FCC to lift a condition that prevents the company from charging network-interconnection fees to large online video providers.

Charter claimed that it faces sufficient competition from wireline, mobile, and satellite providers. But Charter also argued that "Opponents' claims that the [broadband] market is not competitive are beside the point... because Charter, like other broadband providers, lacks the incentive or ability to discriminate against OVDs [online video distributors]. OVDs are critical to the [broadband] business and far too large and powerful to thwart with data caps or interconnection fees."

source: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2020/08/charter-tries-to-convince-fcc-that-broadband-customers-want-data-caps/

 

As expected the arguments they provide is a load of bullcrap and as expected the time warner charter merger is going to hurt consumers. Also you know there is no competition when charter has to cite satellite ISPs as competition LUL.

[mr moose]

Dear big company,

           You are my only choice for service X,  I implore you to screw me over as hard as you can and then tell the FCC and any other government agency that I asked for it, I know it it sounds like justification for rape (because it is), but they will believe you if you give them enough money.  Then I can live happy knowing I am paying over the top for 3rd world service. 

 

Yours in denial,  Under valued customer.

[Guest]

Your choices are:

 

1. Cut off your own hand.

2. Data caps.

 

See.... customers love option 2.

[Tellos]

meanwhile my company made unlimited data cheaper, while raising thew caps that are in place. Not perfect still ways to go but I don't get Charter. I still hold data caps will go away eventually but until then will over time go up to accommodate rising data use.

[startrek03]

They not only want to have data caps, but also want to impede net neutrality. Geez. If the FCC allowed this, for one I'd be happy to not live in the US and for another the US would lose their last sympathy points, if there were any left of course.

 

I mean, who the f*** wants a limit enforced on them?! Who?

[imreloadin]

2 minutes ago, Den-Fi said:

Your choices are:

 

1. Cut off your own hand.

2. Data caps.

 

See.... customers love option 2.

I'm sure I can stream thousands of hours of content teaching me to use my feet as hands with my unlimited data...

[startrek03]

Just now, imreloadin said:

I'm sure I can stream thousands of hours of content teaching me to use my feet as hands with my unlimited data...

You could be one of these cool people who can write with their feet and stuff. Way better than having data caps.

[Guest]

Just now, imreloadin said:

I'm sure I can stream thousands of hours of content teaching me to use my feet as hands with my unlimited data...

There was no unlimited option.

Cutting off your hand still had a cap.

 

The illusion of choice is always at play.

[HarryNyquist]

Ah wonderful. Can't wait for my parents to blow through their cap.

 

Also can't wait to blow through my cap reinstalling a game or reinstalling windows. Fuck everything dude. What the fuck.

[imreloadin]

6 minutes ago, Den-Fi said:

There was no unlimited option.

Cutting off your hand still had a cap.

 

The illusion of choice is always at play.

I always knew you were an ISP mole on the forums!!!

[startrek03]

Tbh, they just wanna make a quick buck by customer adjusted pricing. The consumer would always benefit a system without data caps because then the ISP is forced to "lower" their price since they would make less money by giving internet to a few people at a high cost than by giving internet to a lot of people at a lower cost.

 

Edit: And the low tier price could possibly even be the old normal price... rediculous...

[Jurrunio]

Reminds me how I tried to argue my way out of a call-only plan for my phone when I'm younger. Too bad the ones on the other side arent dumb

[Donut417]

What had happen was..... They saw the money Comcast is raking in for people having to pay for Unlimited data. Just got an email from Comcast. I can rent their XFI gateway for $25/m and get unlimited data, normally $50 if you dont rent their gateway I guess. I rather keep my data usage under control than allow my mom to give those bastards any more money. She's like "If we go over we go over", Im like "You are NOT paying them any more money PERIOD"!!!!! 

[Tellos]

20 minutes ago, Donut417 said:

What had happen was..... They saw the money Comcast is raking in for people having to pay for Unlimited data. Just got an email from Comcast. I can rent their XFI gateway for $25/m and get unlimited data, normally $50 if you dont rent their gateway I guess. I rather keep my data usage under control than allow my mom to give those bastards any more money. She's like "If we go over we go over", Im like "You are NOT paying them any more money PERIOD"!!!!! 

actually 30 if you dont rent a comcast modem it went down in cost. Thats the trend.

[yolosnail]

Laughs in European. 

 

Our ISPs got rid of data caps over a decade a go, and even when they had them they didn't actually care, you'd just get an email saying 'oi mate, mind not using so much, thx' and that was that. After a year of going over the data cap, they just removed the cap for free. 

 

Since I switched to an unlimited plan on my mobile, I've actually been using less data. When I was on a 30gb plan, I'd actively try and use the whole 30gb each month to get my moneys worth, now I settle around 18-20gb per month (2-3gb during lockdown lol), but I know if I need to download a large file when I'm out and about, I can!

[Donut417]

8 minutes ago, Tellos said:

actually 30 if you dont rent a comcast modem it went down in cost. Thats the trend.

Still way too much. And Im pretty sure that $30 is just a promo. As $25 used to be a promo before that. 

[Izineth]

Screw this bullshit, no sane customer would want data caps.  Data caps aren't gonna save anyone any money.  Charter just raises the price $10 every year anyway. People have been brainwashed with this trash that customers that use more should pay more.  Whats next people who watch more hours of TV should pay more too?  Guess what people that use less aren't gonna pay any less. Charter has been total garbage for as long as I've had them over 15 years now...  The only reason I have service from them at all is they don't have caps.  I don't give a flying fuck.  If they have caps like they used to have I will drop them so fucking fast and get 24 mbps DSL from the phone company.  I don't give a shit if its slower There is ZERO reason to have data caps other than to milk the poor customers who have no other choice dry.  They're just pissed off that the streaming services have driven away customers from their shitty ass cable TV rip off.  Fuck Charter, they're a bunch of greedy assholes.

 

 

/End rant.

[GrockleTD]

i've heard consumers also enjoy being shot in the dick

[Pickles von Brine]

I really don't understand how companies can think this fuckery is okay... Seriously, what kind of blinded, nonsensical self-indulging anti-consumer bullshit is this?

[Donut417]

47 minutes ago, Kawaii_Desu said:

Screw this bullshit, no sane customer would want data caps.  Data caps aren't gonna save anyone any money.  Charter just raises the price $10 every year anyway. People have been brainwashed with this trash that customers that use more should pay more.  Whats next people who watch more hours of TV should pay more too?  Guess what people that use less aren't gonna pay any less. Charter has been total garbage for as long as I've had them over 15 years now...  The only reason I have service from them at all is they don't have caps.  I don't give a flying fuck.  If they have caps like they used to have I will drop them so fucking fast and get 24 mbps DSL from the phone company.  I don't give a shit if its slower There is ZERO reason to have data caps other than to milk the poor customers who have no other choice dry.  They're just pissed off that the streaming services have driven away customers from their shitty ass cable TV rip off.  Fuck Charter, they're a bunch of greedy assholes.

 

 

/End rant.

Just the point out that Comcast, Cox, and AT&T all feature data caps. Maybe not in all areas but in many. 

[Izineth]

9 minutes ago, Donut417 said:

Just the point out that Comcast, Cox, and AT&T all feature data caps. Maybe not in all areas but in many. 

I'm aware it doesn't make it any less bullshit.  But the phone company here does not feature caps.  The point is NO company should have caps.  At one point I remember that there was a interview with CEO Tom Rutledge and he stated in the interview that Charter had no intentions of ever going back to caps because he figured out that not having caps lead to less customer churn.  We continue to move backwards.  This shit is anti-consumer.  Home internet isn't like a cell provider, you can't just vote with your wallet and choose another provider. Most people IF they are lucky have two choices most don't even have that.

 

If anything the pandemic has proven one thing, even with the increased load the internet isn't going to fall apart by them not having data caps.  The song and dance about them NEEDING data caps to be able to provide service is a crock of shit.

[Donut417]

1 minute ago, Kawaii_Desu said:

I'm aware it doesn't make it any less bullshit.  But the phone company here does not feature caps.  The point is NO company should have caps.  At one point I remember that there was a interview with CEO Tom Rutledge and he stated in the interview that Charter had no intentions of ever going back to caps because he figured out that not having caps lead to less customer churn.  We continue to move backwards.  This shit is anti-consumer.  Home internet isn't like a cell provider, you can't just vote with your wallet and choose another provider most people IF they are lucky have two choices most don't even have that.

You gotta hope 5G takes off. T Mobile started offering home internet in my area for $50/m for 50 Mbps, they claim unlimited data as well. But this is what happens when proper regulations are not in place. Nor will proper regulations be put in place at time soon. ISP's have little to no regulations they have to follow. 

[Quinnell]

This is absurd.  Data caps are totally anti-consumer.

[Izineth]

2 minutes ago, Donut417 said:

You gotta hope 5G takes off. T Mobile started offering home internet in my area for $50/m for 50 Mbps, they claim unlimited data as well. But this is what happens when proper regulations are not in place. Nor will proper regulations be put in place at time soon. ISP's have little to no regulations they have to follow. 

I hope every day that 5G takes off and things like Amazon's up coming low orbit satellite, SpaceX's Starlink etc.  We need to end the monopolistic abuse from these providers.

The fact is once the equipment is in place it doesn't cost Charter a penny more to provide me with 100mb of data or 100TB.  Data is not a physical good.  I pay for a service.  I want to be able to turn my computer or TV on and use the service I pay for I don't want to have to sit there and worry if that steam game update or catching up on a show I've been watching on netflix is going to run me over some bullshit imaginary limit causing me to get charged extra fees or shit canned.

[Donut417]

1 minute ago, Kawaii_Desu said:

SpaceX's Starlink

I dont think Id ever get that desperate. Sorry but I dont care what they say, its still satellite internet. Maybe not as crapy as Hughsnet and its competitor, but its still satellite internet. I dont see it being as good as 5G, or wired broadband.