[Updated] Verizon Scolds FiOS User for Consuming 7 TB Every Month

[Mew]

Apparently, a user of FiOS (F iOS? lol) was sent this letter:

for consuming 7 terabytes of data every month.

 

 

 

One Verizon regular reaches out to note he's the latest to receive one of these letters after consuming seven terabytes of data for several consecutive months, predominately, he claims, courtesy of volunteer-run web crawling projects like Folding@Home and Seti@Home.

The user says they pay $315 a month for Verizon's top-shelf, 500 Mbps plan. The letter informs the users the heavy usage violate's Verizon's terms of service, and if the consumption doesn't drop dramatically, his line will be disconnected in around two-months time. The letter does not define what an acceptable usage threshold is, though again site regulars have pegged the line at anywhere from four to ten terabytes per month, depending on the market.

 

I'm not sure which side I want to side with- Verizon because this is a bit excessive, or the user because you should be able to do whatever you want with your connection however you want to do it.

 

What are your thoughts?

 

Source: http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Verizon-Scolds-FiOS-User-For-Consuming-Seven-Terabytes-Monthly-133560

 

Update:

 

DSLReports contacted Verizon to find out the actual caps they had on their "unlimited" FiOS connection. It turns out that it's not that straightforward. 

 

FiOS Internet customers we have contacted would have to watch at least 6,660 SD movies per month or 222 SD movies per day to consume the amount of data they are using per month," Verizon tells me. "High Speed Internet customers we have contacted would have to watch at least 1000 SD movies per month or 33 SD movies per day to consume the amount of data they are using per month.

 

What exactly does 6,660 standard def movies add up to? DSLReports decided to dig deeper. Turns out, Fios lines are capped at 10Tb of data every month.

 

Fortunately, a Verizon insider familiar with Verizon's network management practices was willing to give me a much more specific answer. According to front-line support materials provided to Verizon reps, the company has a 10 terabyte monthly cap in place for FiOS connections, and a 1.5 terabyte monthly cap in place for DSL lines. Verizon could simply state this in the terms of service, but I assume that might mute the unlimited marketing potential of fiber in the company's fight against cable.

 

Verizon Tsk Tsk.....

Source for update: http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Insider-Verizon-Caps-FiOS-at-10-TB-and-DSL-at-15-TB-133610

[Doughnutnator]

Well it's in the TOS.

 

Anyways what a shitty company, you should be able to use as much as you want...

[Guest]

If it's in the ToS, technically Verizon is right.

[TheSLSAMG]

Is an acceptable usage threshold present in the user's contract (I assume there is one) with Verizon, not the letter? If so, is he going over it? If so, he's at fault. If not, Verizon are being asinine.

[Guest]

Well it's in the TOS.

 

Anyways what a shitty company, you should be able to use as much as you want...

HA, have you ever had Comcast? Verizon would be a godsend...

[spartaman64]

lol an acceptable amount according to verizon is probably 150GB 

[Guest]

Meanwhile Optus Australia don't care if you munch 23TB on cable.

[AMICLG]

Well it's in the TOS.

 

Anyways what a shitty company, you should be able to use as much as you want...

If it's in the ToS, technically Verizon is right.

 

Verizon isn't right, they advertise an unlimited no compromise service and have no number of what qualifies as excessive use so how are you to know what is excess or not. They're just being pricks about it like they do with everything.

[skullrebell]

HA, have you ever had Comcast? Verizon would be a godsend...

So how is Comcast so bad, we dont have Data caps, or send these letters to our customers.

[TheSLSAMG]

Verizon isn't right, they advertise an unlimited no compromise service and have no number of what qualifies as excessive use so how are you to know what is excess or not. They're just being pricks about it like they do with everything.

Can you back this up with proof? I say this a fair bit, it's not that I don't believe you, I just want to know from the source.

[KickinGravy]

lol an acceptable amount according to verizon is probably 150GB 

What?! Thats just stupid, in this day and age people who watch youtube or nexflix often can hit that amount. So unrealistic 

[ObscureMammal]

 

 

The letter does not define what an acceptable usage threshold is

 

If they don't tell you the limit how are you supposed to know?

Since there is obviously a cap, they should state it clearly

 

 

lol an acceptable amount according to verizon is probably 150GB 

 

People guesstimate it's ~10TB 

[techguru]

What?! Thats just stupid, in this day and age people who watch youtube or nexflix often can hit that amount. So unrealistic 

youtube and netflix ...= 7tbs a month??

I think your exaggering

[KickinGravy]

youtube and netflix ...= 7tbs a month??

I think your exaggering

I was but 150gbs a month? Just no

[BOT Edward]

Meanwhile Optus Australia don't care if you munch 23TB on cable.

 

I currently use my mobile 3g ($2/day for unlimited text/calls/data within aus) and they hate it when i use more than 1gb/day.

Usually throttling my service until I ring up and complain or re-connect to the closest tower, although admittedly I have used 134gb this month.

 

I'm sure if you used 23tb with optus they would love you though, the bill would be ridiculous.

[AlwaysFSX]

7TB isn't a whole lot either.

[Lolzious]

Who gives a shit, fuck Verizon. We pay for internet, we should get it!

[sgloux3470]

I look at "unlimited" internet plans the same way I look at "all you can eat" buffets.

 

It's not really unlimited and if you're being excessive someone is probably going to kick you out.  

 

 

When Canada was trying to institute data caps, I was using about 500 GB/month at my peak of anime/video game downloading.  We're talking reinstalling my steam library multiple times, downloading dozens of anime shows in HD quality, tons of netflix streaming and that was just me.  My sister and my parents both used netflix, and my sister downloaded her own games and anime and shit.

 

I can't even comprehend using 7 TB of data every month.  My entire steam library currently consumes an entire 2 TB harddrive and probably another 500-1000 GB across three other harddrives and I would still have to redownload my entire library ~3 times over every month to use that much.

 

 

7 TB is nearly 10 GB an hour, 24/7 for the whole month.

[KickinGravy]

I look at "unlimited" internet plans the same way I look at "all you can eat" buffets.

 

It's not really unlimited and if you're being excessive someone is probably going to kick you out.  

 

 

When Canada was trying to institute data caps, I was using about 500 GB/month at my peak of anime/video game downloading.  We're talking reinstalling my steam library multiple times, downloading dozens of anime shows in HD quality, tons of netflix streaming and that was just me.  My sister and my parents both used netflix, and my sister downloaded her own games and anime and shit.

 

I can't even comprehend using 7 TB of data every month.  My entire steam library currently consumes an entire 2 TB harddrive and probably another 500-1000 GB across three other harddrives and I would still have to redownload my entire library ~3 times over every month to use that much.

Well it did say in the article that he runs at home folding programs so I can see the 7tb usage 

[AMICLG]

Can you back this up with proof? I say this a fair bit, it's not that I don't believe you, I just want to know from the source.

If you dig through their ToS you don't actually find anything, they make open ended legal statements so they can do what they want.

 

 

Restrictions on Use. The Service is a consumer grade service and is not designed for or intended to be used for any commercial purpose. You may not resell, re-provision or rent the Service, (either for a fee or without charge) or allow third parties to use the Service via wired, wireless or other means. For example, you may not provide Internet access to third parties through a wired or wireless connection or use the Service to facilitate public Internet access (such as through a Wi-Fi hotspot), use it for high volume purposes, or engage in similar activities that constitute such use (commercial or non-commercial). If you subscribe to a Broadband Service, you may connect multiple computers/devices within a single home to your modem and/or router to access the Service, but only through a single Verizon-issued IP address. You also may not exceed the bandwidth usage limitations that Verizon may establish from time to time for the Service, or use the Service to host any type of server. Violation of this section may result in bandwidth restrictions on your Service or suspension or termination of your Service.

Source

[sgloux3470]

Well it did say in the article that he runs at home folding programs so I can see the 7tb usage 

 

No fucking way it's using that much, unless he's running dozens of machines.

 

 

 

Originally Posted by Guru3D

How much bandwidth does F@H need? It will use 1-10mb (approximately) depending on the WU's size.

Time estimates for a average WU (5mb), based on upload speeds:

• 22kbit/s : 38 minutes ~
• 128kbits/ : 6 Minutes ~
• 256kbit/s : 2 Minutes ~
• 448kbit/s : 1 Minute and 40 Seconds ~
• 512kbit/s : 1 Minute ~

 

 

At 10 MB per work unit, he'd have to complete over 1000 work units every hour. Or about 18 per minute.

[Maslofski]

thts stupid, ive you have a 500mb line and even ith only 50mb/s, ive youd use your service to its full extend, then youd have 134TB, so again with 50mb youd have 38 hours of full bandwidth usage to surpass 7TB

[terrytek]

Hurry up with fibre optic, AT&T. Verizon is being so shitty we're having to have to revert to Crapcast.

[Doughnutnator]

HA, have you ever had Comcast? Verizon would be a godsend...

I live in Mexico, shitty internet but you can use as much as you want or can.

[JAKEBAB]

I'm sure if you used 23tb with optus they would love you though, the bill would be ridiculous.

Only $100/m on there unlimited plan.