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Comcast to charge for over-limit downloading

Written by James Delahunty @ 17 May 2012 6:35 User comments (6)

Comcast to charge for over-limit downloading Comcast will charge excessive downloaders.
It is to begin rolling out a system where those who download more than their monthly allowance will have to pay a fee. Comcast raised its download limit to 300GB after previously setting it at 250GB. Those who download 50GB more than their limit will automatically be charged an extra $10 on top of their monthly bill.

Previously, those who downloaded more than 250GB were sent a warning, threatening them with service suspension if they persisted in breaking their download limit.

Research from Sandvine Corp. shows that only 1.5 percent of the U.S. Internet users download more than 250GB per month, and only 1 percent download more than 300GB.

ISPs say they need to find a way to deter heavy downloaders since they can degrade service for other users on the network.

Comcast's Xfinity TV app for Xbox 360 has brought up some questions however, as the video streaming app does not count toward the monthly limit. Rival Netflix, however, is subject to the monthly download limit, but Comcast rejects claims that it is favoring its own product over Netflix, since Xfinity TV content is not provided through the Internet but from Comcast's own equipment.



Video streaming from Xfinity TV's website does still count toward the monthly data cap.

Tags: Comcast
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6 user comments

117.5.2012 18:45

This is the whole point of net neutrality to keep favoritism from screwing us over.

217.5.2012 22:11

I can handle a $10.00 surcharge for excessive downloading.....However, I cannot handle a disconnection for excessive downloading.

318.5.2012 02:23

Thanks for the head up. i have exceeded my 250GB limit twice before. i don't think i will ever hit 300gb.

418.5.2012 12:03

I'm not with Comcast, but if my ISP were to indoctrinate such a plan there might be a few months in there where I could be screwed. Maybe once all the kids get gone things might be different, but till then it could be shaky.

518.5.2012 16:15

GOOD! 300 gigs is plenty for anyone. And that's with streaming video everyday and many many illicit downloads so anyone slamming ISPs for doing this (though I truly HATE Comcast) and lumping this with "net neutrality" should STFU! Those exceeding this amount are clearly leeching pirates that likely never give back to society and simply drain from it.

Net neutrality is about content and access............NOTHING about 'net neutrality' addresses speed of your connection or caps/limits so PIPE DOWN to anyone using this.

Defined by Wikipedia's first paragraph:

"Network neutrality (also net neutrality, Internet neutrality) is a principle that advocates no restrictions by Internet service providers or governments on consumers' access to networks that participate in the internet. Specifically, network neutrality would prevent restrictions on content, sites, platforms, types of equipment that may be attached, and modes of communication."

This message has been edited since its posting. Latest edit was made on 18 May 2012 @ 4:16

619.5.2012 14:01

You do realize you undermined your own rant by quoting Wikipedia within their opening dialog, right?

Much more behavior like this & people are going to start quoting you as a source for 'contradiction' & 'antonym'...

Originally posted by hearme0:

"Network neutrality (also net neutrality, Internet neutrality) is a principle that advocates no restrictions by Internet service providers or governments on consumers' access to networks that participate in the internet. Specifically, network neutrality would prevent restrictions on content, sites, platforms, types of equipment that may be attached, and modes of communication."
And unless you have a version of Shirley Mason running around in your head, no one in this particular forum mentioned anything about download rate. Yet "a principle that advocates no RESTRICTIONS" is still implied to caps & limits (sans technological limitations to DL rates); it's more than implied.

So, if you have to be one of those 'individuals' that needs to have his rules so stringently written in order to conform, you'd better hope to your favorite deity you never get assigned to my platoon.

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