Internet Data Caps

[GeekJump]

I live under the tyranny that is Comcast. Luckily they haven't rolled out that stupid data cap/pay more for unlimited plan near me yet.

 

My question is; how far do you think home internet Data caps will go?? And do you see it changing/relaxing in the near future?

 

Also, if you have data caps, what are they and what are your speeds?

 

I guess it made some sense a few years ago but today with a large group of people using services like Netflix or Hulu to watch videos, games going digital, etc. etc. the idea of data caps sounds ridiculous; especially how low some of them are. 30 GB/month cap? I would burn that up in a week! 

 

I feel even worse for people that have crap speeds AND data caps

 

Discuss...

 

Mobile Data Caps, while crazily priced, make more sense so not including that in this discussion.

[Oshino Shinobu]

Luckily, data caps aren't really a thing with high speed internet over here (from my experience, at least). 

 

I just checked the data usage for the past week on my router, and we've gone through over 200GB (Netflix, iPlayer, Steam, Youtube and other large downloads mainly). Something like a 100GB monthly cap would be way too small

[VTF5252]

If they do you can send the FCC a complaint and hopefully if they get enough they just might do something about it.

[Fassive]

i wouldnt even last a day with a datacap and slow speed since i basicly download stuff 24/7 and we live with 2 techies in the house.

[Kirky2k15]

I think it will depend on what the industry standards become... if everyone starts doing this and it becomes the norm then no companies will think twice about implementing a data cap.

I'm on Virgin on their 200mb connection and no data cap its great but I use the internet during peak times mostly so only get around 100-150mb 3rd world problems eh?

[Samppa221]

Here we don't have datacaps on home connections and not so many mobile connections thankfully.

 

My Decembers data usage on my phone 358GB : 

 

[flibberdipper]

Data caps will not go away entirely, in my eyes.

 

Like I think my house has a 200GB cap (and my grandma has 20?), but it's not enough.

 

And then my phone has a 2GB cap, but every additional gig is 5 bucks, so it's not bad.

 

Speeds at my house are like 80/12 (grandma's is usually 2.5/1). Depending on the weather and where I am compared to a tower, I can actually max the hardware on my phone before the network (I got like 115/15 at a gas station like a mile away from a tower). Most of the time I get like 25-35/5 in the city though.

[Smooth Bunz]

Comcast data capped me at 300gb and $50 per extra 100gb used... So I got a comcast business account (no data cap) and dont regret it at all! comcast business lines are amazing! they have wonderful support they will fix your issue or get you to someone who can without all the hassle you deal with for regular comcast. I'll never look back until google fiber get to my area

[ZetZet]

No such thing here. I use 1-2TB every month.

 

Wasn't home for 2 weeks, still have almost 1TB over the last 30days

[kelvindeschutter]

i actually feel really sorry of the people white data caps scince here in the Netherlands there unheard of (not for mobile data)

 

on a more seriusly note data caps are total bullshit if they arent for mobile

i alone use around 400GB of data a month only on my pc and i have phone and a school laptop as wel

[boarder2k7]

And then my phone has a 2GB cap, but every additional gig is 5 bucks, so it's not bad.

Not bad? That would cost me an extra $60/month!

On topic though, capped wired internet is complete BS

[GeekJump]

So many replies in under 10 mins

 

I know I use to laugh (sorry I'm slightly evil) when I heard how some countries had caps. Now its slowly spreading here and the only carrier in my area -Comcast- is trying to issue caps to more customers XO. I never tried checking my monthly usage at home but I wouldn't be surprised if I hit +1tb a month by myself (only other tech-ish person in my house is my bro).

 

 

Data caps will not go away entirely, in my eyes.

 

Like I think my house has a 200GB cap (and my grandma has 20?), but it's not enough.

 

And then my phone has a 2GB cap, but every additional gig is 5 bucks, so it's not bad.

 

Speeds at my house are like 80/12 (grandma's is usually 2.5/1). Depending on the weather and where I am compared to a tower, I can actually max the hardware on my phone before the network (I got like 115/15 at a gas station like a mile away from a tower). Most of the time I get like 25-35/5 in the city though.

 

What carrier do you have? I have 3 GB cap w/ Verizon shared and the one time we went over (less than a gig over) it was ~$40 surcharge!

 

Getting my Project Fi phone tonight, they have reasonable data plans (if they have good service)

[flibberdipper]

So many replies in under 10 mins

 

I know I use to laugh (sorry I'm slightly evil) when I heard how some countries had caps. Now its slowly spreading here and the only carrier in my area -Comcast- is trying to issue caps to more customers XO. I never tried checking my monthly usage at home but I wouldn't be surprised if I hit +1tb a month by myself (only other tech-ish person in my house is my bro).

 

 

 

What carrier do you have? I have 3 GB cap w/ Verizon shared and the one time we went over (less than a gig over) it was ~$40 surcharge!

 

Getting my Project Fi phone tonight, they have reasonable data plans (if they have good service)

MetroPCS.

[Principis]

4 TB cap

[braneopbru]

A few years ago, in Canada (southern Ontario) Rogers and Bell (Cable and phone companies, essentially the only two ISPs) started data caps. They started introducing cheaper plans that were capped and slowly they lowered the price of every tier a few dollars a month, but all the new packages had caps.

 

It's started going the other way now. They started introducing no caps on their top tier plans. Now slowly they've been removing caps from their mid tier plans.

 

 

[skywake]

There are pretty extensive data caps in Australia but it kinda makes sense. We're effectively just a hot version of Canada (middling population, low density) but with one key difference. Unlike Canada we have an ocean between us and the US. Also unlike some other countries in our region (Japan, China etc) we tend to use those overseas links more heavily. Only makes sense, we're a majority English speaking nation and most of the English content is from the US. Sometimes Europe. Almost always overseas. ISPs pay quite a bit to rent capacity on those overseas links, hence quotas. And because it's mostly for overseas links? Some local content is unmetered, including Netflix.

 

Also the quotas have steadily increased while my connection speed has not. I've been on an 8Mbps connection since I upgraded to it in 2008. Back then I had a 25GB/mo quota and used every single drop. By 2012 my quota had increased to 200GB/mo and I was using about 70GB/mo, 80GB/mo if you include unmetered content. Last month they bumped my quota upto 1TB/mo of which I used 150GB, an additional 50GB was unmetered. Needless to say my connection speed is holding me back more than the quota is. I'm currently at the point where I'm looking at plans seeing if I can drop my quota just so I can pay less but unfortunately the plan down from mine is only 100GB/mo.

[Donut417]

Lucky for me Comcast hasn't put caps in Metro Detroit yet. Im waiting however. Here is why I don't like caps:

 

A: How do I know if the meter is correct? Hell I cant even access the meter on Comcast's site any more. Also, it does not report in real time. 

B: Exempting their online Video service, that is anti competitive.

 

Plus you cant say its a capacity problem. Shit, they are testing 1 Gig service with Docsis 3.1. Even if it was a capacity issue, where the hell did the money go from the Universal Service Fund? Isn't that money giving to the ISP's to Upgrade and maintain their network? On top of charging most people 10 bucks a month for a Modem, which most pay because their to stupid to relies they can buy one. Then 10 bucks a month for every cable box. God help you if you have HD and a DVR. 

[braneopbru]

......Then 10 bucks a month for every cable box. God help you if you have HD and a DVR. 

Rogers will rent you a DVR for the low price of $25 a month for as long as you are a customer.

 

HOWEVER, if you ask them about Rent-to-own, they will give you the exact same DVR, charge you $20 a month and after two years you own the box and they stop charging you.

 

I bolded "ask" because you specifically have to ask about it. it's never mentioned as an option by reps and last time I checked, it wasn't even listed on their website.

[themctipers]

Home Internet: Fuck no, atleast not my plan.

Mobile: $50/5gb (Super high end business plan, 3 year contract, Canada, Rogers)

[braneopbru]

Home Internet: Fuck no, atleast not my plan.

Mobile: $50/5gb (Super high end business plan, 3 year contract, Canada, Rogers)

Still have the 6Gb/$30

 

Grandfathering FTW.

[themctipers]

Still have the 6Gb/$30

 

Grandfathering FTW.

My dad stole the $50/unlimited from.. bell..

Then he became dumb and went with rogers..

[Donut417]

Rogers will rent you a DVR for the low price of $25 a month for as long as you are a customer.

 

HOWEVER, if you ask them about Rent-to-own, they will give you the exact same DVR, charge you $20 a month and after two years you own the box and they stop charging you.

 

I bolded "ask" because you specifically have to ask about it. it's never mentioned as an option by reps and last time I checked, it wasn't even listed on their website.

 

Comcast wont let you buy boxes. However you can rent a cable card and get your own box. However there is no on demand with cable cards. What happen to the good old days of just putting the cable wire in the back of the TV. 

 

I think Comcast should be charged a tax from the EPA due to electrical usage of their boxes. Call it an Environmental protection tax. I dont see why they can just put a cable card slot in your TV. This way there are no boxes. 

[matrix07012]

I am sorry for people with data caps. Those things almost dont exist in Europe, usually only on mobile internet. We pay 15$ for 16Mbps unlimited VDSL. While I could use better speeds, Iam glad that it is unlimited since I use 300GB every month only on my PC. T-Mobile even offers some unlimited 3G plans here.

[leadeater]

Data caps were the worst thing ever to be introduced by ISP's and only barely serve the purpose of why they use them in the first place. Most ISP's use data caps as a way to control bandwidth utilization on the network, purely out of trying to discourage users from actually using the bandwidth they have. ISP's themselves typically don't pay for data usage between networks but rather pay for bandwidth (Mbps/Gbps/Tbps) so why they actually charge for data usage seems completely flawed to me.

 

It would have made more sense to pay for connection bandwidth, faster you want the more you pay. How much you actually use, well that doesn't matter.

 

Link below explains it rather well:

https://blog.cloudflare.com/the-relative-cost-of-bandwidth-around-the-world/

[Penny5837]

I live under the tyranny that is Comcast. Luckily they haven't rolled out that stupid data cap/pay more for unlimited plan near me yet.

My question is; how far do you think home internet Data caps will go?? And do you see it changing/relaxing in the near future?

Also, if you have data caps, what are they and what are your speeds?

I guess it made some sense a few years ago but today with a large group of people using services like Netflix or Hulu to watch videos, games going digital, etc. etc. the idea of data caps sounds ridiculous; especially how low some of them are. 30 GB/month cap? I would burn that up in a week!

I feel even worse for people that have crap speeds AND data caps

Discuss...

Mobile Data Caps, while crazily priced, make more sense so not including that in this discussion.

I've got comcrap too, and if they do roll out data caps, I'm screwed.