Quote:
Comcast has confirmed that all residential customers will be subject to a 250 gigabyte per month data limit starting October 1
PC MAG Article"This is the same system we have in place today," Comcast wrote in an amendment to its acceptable use policy. "The only difference is that we will now provide a limit by which a customer may be contacted."
The cable provider insisted that 250 GB is "an extremely large amount of data, much more than a typical residential customer uses on a monthly basis."
To run afoul of these limits, Comcast said, customers would have to do one of the following: send 50 million e-mails; download 62,500 songs; download 125 standard-definition movies; or upload 25,000 high-resolution digital photos.
Comcast came under fire last year for cutting off service to customers who consumed a large amount of bandwidth but refusing to provide those customers with information on how much bandwidth they were able to use.
"As part of our pre-existing policy, we will continue to contact the top users of our high-speed Internet service and ask them to curb their usage," Comcast said Thursday.
"If a customer uses more than 250 GB and is one of the top users of our service, he or she may be contacted by Comcast to notify them of excessive use," according to the AUP. "At that time, we'll tell them exactly how much data per month they had used. We know from experience the vast majority of customers we ask to curb usage do so voluntarily."
Late last year, the Associated Press and the Electronic Frontier Foundation accused Comcast of blocking access to certain file-sharing Web sites, a complaint that eventually led the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to approve an enforcement action against Comcast that requires it to be more transparent about its network management policy by year's end.
Comcast admitted to delaying P2P traffic during peak times but denied ever blocking access to any site. Prior to the FCC enforcement action, Comcast reached agreements with BitTorrent, Pando Networks, and Vonage under which the cable company would develop a protocol agnostic network management policy by year's end and come up with a P2P bill of rights.
The company confirmed in May that it was considering a 250 GB bandwidth cap, and started testing that system in several markets. Earlier this month, a spokesman said that those tests suggested that bandwidth hogs might encounter delays of up to 20 minutes during peak traffic times.
To publicize the change, Comcast will run banner notices on its Comcast.net home page and security channel Web site, update the FAQ in its help section, and include an insert in an upcoming billing statement.
Washington-based interest group Free Press, which filed the complaint against Comcast with the FCC, said it remained concerned about how a cap helps solve Comcast's congestion problems or how it will work with other usage limits under consideration the company is considering.
"Though the proposed cap is relatively high, it will increasingly ensnare more users as technology continues its natural progression," S. Derek Turner, research director of Free Press, said in a statement. "If Comcast has oversold their network to the point of creating congestion problems, then well-disclosed caps for Internet use are a better short-term solution than Comcast's current practice of illegally blocking Internet traffic."
Turner said the move highlights why the U.S. needs more "genuine broadband competition."
250 Gb is such a Huge limit though, you say,
Just hooked up one of my PCs with a Bandwidth Meter Program,
ShaPlus Bandwidth MeterMy PC, we have 5 Total- not including Wii, PS2, PSP, Location Free tv, Internet Cell Phones, ETC,
In one week it is at 83 GB ,
with a Download Tom. of 16+Gb for the New Crysis Warhead direct download to the PC from the Company,Technology ++++
No trip to the Store Needed.Like paying higher prices for limited Bandwidth and Slower Connection,
Drop Comcast, It will be a Better world without there crappy cable line thats always Fuzzy anyway!
The Verizon Fiber-optic FiOs System will be here shortly, its a wire that is made for the Future.
Comcast --- Competition
- Verizon 's Fiber-optic FiOs -The Killer to the Comcast Connection
-Cheaper, Faster
-Verizon FiOS Internet Service is the fastest and most powerful connection we've ever offered. With FiOS, you have the choice of several packages to meet your needs. We offer downstream connection speeds (the speed that data is transmitted to your computer) ranging from up to 10 Mbps all the way up to 50 Mbps. We offer upstream speeds up to 20 Mbps in some locations.Comcast to Cap Data Transfers at 250 GB in Oct.The Verizon Fiber-optic FiOs System will be here shortly, its a wire that is made for the Future.
Verizon Internet
AT@T
AT@T internet link--as low as $19 a month
. AT&T Ultra Speed -60 Bucks -Internet even when Cable is Out!- Storm ComingTime Warner
If U have a internet Connection other than Comcast please post- Plan and rates!
Fire Comcast Today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Guess we comcast customers are screwed. I expect them to start limiting more after this.
I think Ill get it when my plan expires.
