Comcast extends data caps

[Donut417]

 

Summary

The North East of the US will no longer be exempt from the data caps Comcast has imposed across much of its foot print. This was a surprise to some as Verizon does have FIOS in the North East. 

 

Quotes

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The data cap will be 1.2 terabytes a month, and will apply to a slew of states in the northeastern U.S. starting in 2021. A similar cap is already in effect for non-unlimited customers across most of the other areas that Comcast services.

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According to the internet service provider, 95% of its customers don't hit the 1.2TB-a-month threshold.

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Comcast will implement the new data caps in Connecticut; Delaware; Massachusetts; Maryland; Maine; New Hampshire; New Jersey; New York; Pennsylvania; Virginia, Vermont; West Virginia; Washington, D.C.; and parts of North Carolina and Ohio.

 

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Frequently Asked Questions

How does the Xfinity Internet Data Usage Plan work?

The 1.2 Terabyte Internet Data Usage Plan provides you with 1.2 terabytes (TB) of Internet data usage each month as part of your monthly Xfinity Internet service. If you choose to use more than 1.2 TB in a month without being on an unlimited plan, we will automatically add blocks of 50 GB to your account for an additional fee of $10 each. Your charges, however, will not exceed $100 each month, no matter how much you use. We're also offering you a courtesy month, so you will not be billed the first time you exceed the limit.

It is important to know only a very small percentage of our customers use more than 1.2 TB of data and are not likely to be impacted by this plan, so they can continue to stream, surf, and download without worry. To see your actual usage, sign in to My Account.

 

 

Do I have the 1.2 TB Internet Data Usage Plan?

This plan does not apply to Xfinity Internet customers on our Gigabit Pro tier of service, Business Internet customers, customers with Prepaid Internet, or customers on non-upgradeable Bulk Internet agreements.

Check to see if this plan is available in your area.

 

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Overage Charges

Once your courtesy month has been used, the next time you exceed 1.2 TB in a month (and any subsequent times it is exceeded in a month), you will be notified via email, SMS text message and the Xfinity My Account app notifications (if enabled) that you’ve exceeded your data usage plan amount, that an additional block of 50 GB has automatically been allocated to your account and that a $10 charge will be applied to your bill. You will automatically be charged $10 each time we provide you with an additional block of 50 GB of data, with a limit of $100 per month.

 

My thoughts

To be honest Im not surprised about the caps. Ive live in a capped area for years. Take note that the cap used to be 1TB before the pandemic. Comcast did suspend the cap during the start of the pandemic and from the usage stats they figured out what to raise the new cap too. 

 

Before someone says that 1.2TB is a lot of data. I can tell you that my family could go over that at any time. Actually during the time that the cap was suspended we did. Also, we have had a few months were we can damn close to going over. 

 

For anyone who is just getting capped, you can keep track of your data usage by going to your account settings at My.Xfinity.com or using the My Account app on your favorite mobile device. Picture is below. 

 

 

On one hand its BS that the cap exists. On the other hand, the North East no longer gets a free lunch and they have to either deal with the cap like the rest of us OR pay for the unlimited data. Unlimited Data Plans are below. 

 

For the record, any one on a business plan, thats in a bulk agreement or has Gigabit Pro (2 Gbps Fiber) is still exempt as well as prepaid internet customers. Which is kinda to be expect. Business internet you get slower speed that costs more money, Gigabit pro costs $299 a month with up to $1000 for install and with bulk agreements Comcast has to kiss the HOA's ass if they want to be an exclusive provider in that area. 

 

Sources

https://appleinsider.com/articles/20/11/23/comcast-extends-12tb-monthly-xfinity-data-cap-to-nearly-all-customers

https://www.xfinity.com/learn/internet-service/data#skywalker-faq

 

[RotoCoreOne]

This is so dumb, if “95% of the customers dont hit 1.2tb” then why implement a data cap? That’s some bs lol

[wall03]

12 minutes ago, Donut417 said:

 

Wait! You only get the unlimited with Comcast's equipment?!

Why can't they be separate things?

(yeah, ik, i use Optimum. Still)

[Donut417]

1 minute ago, RotoCoreOne said:

This is so dumb, if “95% of the customers dont hit 1.2tb” then why implement a data cap? That’s some bs lol

Caps on Comcast go back to at least 2006. When they had a 250 Gig hard cap. The only reason the 250 Gig cap existed is because they were kicking people off their network for using excessive data. The FCC forced them to have a hard limit. After a few years they suspended that cap and started working on caps with overages. Michigan has been capped for many years now. 

 

To be fair, on some AT&T plans there are also caps, Cox caps as well. So Comcast is not the only one. 

[captain_to_fire]

Data caps for wired internet? I only speak unlimited data for wired internet. 

[Donut417]

Just now, wall03 said:

Wait! You only get the unlimited with Comcast's equipment?!

No if you look at the first column you will see that $30 listed on the unlimited data option. The Comcast Xfi unlimited option is $5 cheaper than using customer owned equipment. 

[Windows7ge]

I wonder how this will end up impacting me (genuinely). I'm quite the power user and I can easily see myself exceeding that 1.2TB.

 

Why data caps? We have infrastructure multiple 100's of Gigabits even Terabits in bandwidth with fibre internet always expanding. I see no reason to impose data caps except for greed. Is Comcast that starved for bandwidth?

[wall03]

2 hours ago, Donut417 said:

No if you look at the first column you will see that $30 listed on the unlimited data option. The Comcast Xfi unlimited option is $5 cheaper than using customer owned equipment. 

yeah I meant it's $5 cheaper.

 

its crazy how they get more money.

 

 

EDIT: 1000 posts baby! here's my 1000nd

[Donut417]

Just now, Windows7ge said:

s Comcast that starved for bandwidth?

No, but they want to stay that way. When Title 2 went away, they cut their upgrade budget a bit. No reason to upgrade when the FCC is not breathing down your neck. Though in some areas, Im sure they are starved for bandwidth. 

 

1 minute ago, Windows7ge said:

Why data caps?

Simple answer.... Because they can. When your a monopoly you can get away with murder for the most part. 

[pythonmegapixel]

Bloody hell... in the UK we've had unlimited broadband* as standard for probably almost a decade now, and providers in the USA are only just introducing capped data?

 

* There's obviously an inherent limit in how much data you can consume per month because - for example - a 100 mbit connection can't possibly transfer more than approximately 33TB in 30 days, because even if you saturate the connection that's as fast as it goes. Also there are of course acceptable use policies, but as long as you aren't trying to host YouTube on your little home DSL connection you'll probably be fine...

[Donut417]

1 minute ago, pythonmegapixel said:

Bloody hell... in the UK we've had unlimited broadband* as standard for probably almost a decade now, and providers in the USA are only just introducing capped data?

 

* There's obviously an inherent limit in how much data you can consume per month because - for example - a 100 mbit connection can't possibly transfer more than approximately 33TB in 30 days, because even if you saturate the connection that's as fast as it goes. Also there are of course acceptable use policies, but as long as you aren't trying to host YouTube on your little home DSL connection you'll probably be fine...

As I stated above, my area has been capped for YEARS. Some areas were exempt but Comcast has decided to change that. Data caps are not new in the US and some of the major providers use them. 

[Windows7ge]

2 minutes ago, Donut417 said:

No, but they want to stay that way. When Title 2 went away, they cut their upgrade budget a bit. No reason to upgrade when the FCC is not breathing down your neck. Though in some areas, Im sure they are starved for bandwidth. 

I'm sure down the pipe there are select places where groups of power users are saturating the down/up link in given areas but I don't see why they should impose these rules on everyone if not everyone is the problem.

 

Compared to how much I'm paying now I wonder how much worse the unlimited plan would be. Is it really unlimited or is it unlimited like the cellphone providers version of unlimited?

 

[pythonmegapixel]

1 minute ago, Donut417 said:

As I stated above, my area has been capped for YEARS. Some areas were exempt but Comcast has decided to change that. Data caps are not new in the US and some of the major providers use them. 

Yes, but if they were pro-consumer - or forced to be by either proper regulations or some decent competition - then they'd be working to remove the existing ones, not introduce more.

[Donut417]

1 minute ago, Windows7ge said:

Compared to how much I'm paying now I wonder how much worse the unlimited plan would be. Is it really unlimited or is it unlimited like the cellphone providers version of unlimited?

I heard at about 10TB they will call and bitch. You will be forced to a business plan. 

[Donut417]

1 minute ago, pythonmegapixel said:

Yes, but if they were pro-consumer - or forced to be by either proper regulations or some decent competition - then they'd be working to remove the existing ones, not introduce more.

Listen Comcast is like any business. They answer to shareholders. We dont have regulations on our internet. Remember Title 2 failed. While the new president might implement it again, Im pretty sure Covid is his concern at this time. Plus Title 2 never forbid data caps. To be honest many people are wary about Government regulations on the internet due to well how trust worthy the US government is. 

 

Part of the reason why companies like Comcast have local monopolies is back when cable was first a thing, communities signed exclusive rights agreements so the cable provider would wire up their community. At the time cable internet didnt exist. While some agreements have no expired and or been nullified by the courts. That doesn't mean providers will come flocking. WOW told one of the residents of my city, that wee didn't have enough people to give a shit about, so 25,000 or so people isn't enough. Keep in mind the last mile is owned by the company who put it on the poles. That means for a new provider to come, they have to install new wires and equipment on the poles. Ask Google how that went down in Nashville. I can tell you, not very well. Because some providers own the utility poles as well, which means the can charge RENT. 

 

For the most part each provider has a territory. Some like WOW will over build in to other providers territories if it makes sense in a businesses sense.  

[Windows7ge]

3 minutes ago, Donut417 said:

I heard at about 10TB they will call and bitch. You will be forced to a business plan. 

OK, I'm not that much of a power user. That and I don't know if they'd do a business plan in a residential area. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

So I guess the gift that keeps on giving that is 2020 isn't going to end with the end of 2020 (if that sentence makes sense).

[pythonmegapixel]

3 minutes ago, Donut417 said:

Listen Comcast is like any business. They answer to shareholders. We dont have regulations on our internet. Remember Title 2 failed. While the new president might implement it again, Im pretty sure Covid is his concern at this time. Plus Title 2 never forbid data caps. To be honest many people are wary about Government regulations on the internet due to well how trust worthy the US government is. 

 

Part of the reason why companies like Comcast have local monopolies is back when cable was first a thing, communities signed exclusive rights agreements so the cable provider would wire up their community. At the time cable internet didnt exist. While some agreements have no expired and or been nullified by the courts. That doesn't mean providers will come flocking. WOW told one of the residents of my city, that wee didn't have enough people to give a shit about, so 25,000 or so people isn't enough. Keep in mind the last mile is owned by the company who put it on the poles. That means for a new provider to come, they have to install new wires and equipment on the poles. Ask Google how that went down in Nashville. I can tell you, not very well. Because some providers own the utility poles as well, which means the can charge RENT. 

 

For the most part each provider has a territory. Some like WOW will over build in to other providers territories if it makes sense in a businesses sense.  

Nothing you've said is wrong... the only point I am making is that things work differently - and more beneficially to the consumer - in the UK.

 

On a different note, some capped mobile data plans in the UK have partnered with various websites and agreed for them not to count towards the data cap (e.g. Voxi lets you access Facebook-owned social media sites for free). I wonder if something similar will ever exist in the US? (And yes I know data caps aren't new to the US, but they aren't to the UK either...)

[Donut417]

2 minutes ago, Windows7ge said:

OK, I'm not that much of a power user. That and I don't know if they'd do a business plan in a residential area. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

They do. You make up a businesses name. In the past this is how people got around the data caps before unlimited became a thing. Comcast doesn't give a shit, money is money. Just with business plans you pay more for slower service. 

[pythonmegapixel]

I'm starting to get the impression that people, overall, don't really like Comcast that much...

[Donut417]

1 minute ago, pythonmegapixel said:

I wonder if something similar will ever exist in the US?

T Mobile does this with certain services like Netflix and stuff. Though Netflix streams are regulated to 480P, but they dont count. Comcast wont be doing this most likely. 

[Donut417]

Just now, pythonmegapixel said:

I'm starting to get the impression that people, overall, don't really like Comcast that much...

All ISP's here in the US are a bunch of cunts. AT&T is basically killing aDSL, if thats your only option, dont ever cancel because once you do you cant re sub, on top of it I think aDSL is capped and anything below 50 Mbps is caped, though the added the 50+Mbps on VDSL and Fiber to unlimited data. COX also caps its customers. Charter doesn't cap but Ive heard their network is kinda crap. WOW is hit or miss from what I have read and they talked about possible data caps in the past. Verizon doesn't seem to want to deploy any more Fiber to the home and leaves its DSL customers in the cold. Frontier has purchased some of the unwanted DSL areas from other providers like Verizon and has been on the verge of bankruptcy for years. 

[Windows7ge]

2 minutes ago, Donut417 said:

They do. You make up a businesses name. In the past this is how people got around the data caps before unlimited became a thing. Comcast doesn't give a shit, money is money. Just with business plans you pay more for slower service. 

If they force me up to a business plan I'll tell them I want Gigabit FTTH where at best in my area we have FTTN. :3

[Donut417]

1 minute ago, Windows7ge said:

If they force me up to a business plan I'll tell them I want Gigabit FTTH where at best in my area we have FTTN. :3

Doesn't work that way dude. Unless you want to pay $1000s a month. You can get Gigabit Pro for $299, but Comcast will just laugh at you for making those kinda of demands. To them your an ant and they are the boot. 

[Windows7ge]

4 minutes ago, Donut417 said:

Doesn't work that way dude. Unless you want to pay $1000s a month. You can get Gigabit Pro for $299, but Comcast will just laugh at you for making those kinda of demands. To them your an ant and they are the boot. 

Guess I should have thrown an /s in there. It was meant as a joke. I know they would never do it and even if they did I know that I'd have to be prepared to pay out the ass for it.

[Donut417]

2 minutes ago, Windows7ge said:

Guess I should have thrown an /s in there. It was meant as a joke. I know they would never do it and even if they did I know that I'd have to be prepared to pay out the ass for it.

Like I said, there is Gigabit Pro. $299 for Metro Ethernet is not a bad price. Even with the potential for $1000 for install.