Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Comcast Dropping 250GB Data Cap In Favor of "Improved Data Usage Management"
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Log into your Comcast account and click "User and Settings" somewhere around the top.
Evidence?
That's not true. I have several options for cable and several options for phone. For landline I have vonage (I was on Comcast until I decided their rates were too high.) For TV I could go with dish or some other company... although I'll sooner drop TV entirely in favor of getting video via the internet only. For internet, I can go with Comcast or Verizon.
Yes, I have noticed Comcast's rates keep going up. And that's why I allow them to provide me fewer and fewer services as I choose to spend my money on the companies that charge less. Will Comcast someday bring their prices back down to earth? Maybe. Do I care? Not really, as I'm sure as long as people keep demanding low price services, there will always be companies stepping in to meet that demand. Whether it's Comcast being humbled or some startup I've yet to hear of that meets that demand, I don't really care.
I wonder how some of y'all manage to go over or even near 250 GB a month.
I consider myself a fairly heavy internet user and I don't intentionally limit my bandwidth consumption. I watch HD movies and videos fairly often and download big game files/demos/Steam purchases, and I rarely go above 60 GB a month.
I consider myself a fairly heavy internet user and I don't intentionally limit my bandwidth consumption. I watch HD movies and videos fairly often and download big game files/demos/Steam purchases, and I rarely go above 60 GB a month.
I've had Comcast in the Philadelphia area for a little over three years now. My average monthly usage over those 36+ months is over 500 GB with an almost 2 TB max one month. Never heard a peep from them for my overage.
FYI, there is a workaround to get a higher cap for free. The 250 GB cap is tied to each router on your account. I had two routers, but only used one for data and the other for phone. If you happen to have a few DOCSIS 3.0 modems at home, and they still count the cap per modem, you could add them to your account and then just rotate the modems throughout the month. I have 3 DOCSIS 3.0 modems, but obly one connected nowadays, so I may try that workaround if I start getting charged for over 250 GB.
FYI, there is a workaround to get a higher cap for free. The 250 GB cap is tied to each router on your account. I had two routers, but only used one for data and the other for phone. If you happen to have a few DOCSIS 3.0 modems at home, and they still count the cap per modem, you could add them to your account and then just rotate the modems throughout the month. I have 3 DOCSIS 3.0 modems, but obly one connected nowadays, so I may try that workaround if I start getting charged for over 250 GB.
Oh, the many times I wished I had FIOS available in my area. Alas, I'm still stuck in *no-choice-ville* and I know I'm not even getting the greatest of Xfinity bandwidth because they know they can get away with it. There's not even a DSL option here. It's pretty much cable, cellular, or dial-up narrowband.
I still have unlimited DSL through "Qwest" which is now Century Link. I have downloaded 300+ GB in one month and have never heard a work from them.
It used to be available in the "Users and Settings" tab, but I can't seem to find it anywhere, when I signed up I was able to view my usage but since they updated the mobile site it's gone.
Anyone know if it's still around?
I'm in the Bay Area if it helps.
Cloud backup services can chew up bandwidth like nobody's business. I realized I was using a lot more bandwidth according to my router when I started using CrashPlan to do offsite backups of a couple desktops. Every time I went to a track day and pulled the video off my rollbar cam it would start transferring 5G of video out into the ether, then I would start editing it...
Someone has been fooling you for some time. Bandwidth for ISPs isn't that expensive.
Yes, that's what transit and peering costs are
And no, their own infrastructure isn't free, though users are already paying for it, or did you think that the company don't have that into consideration? Also users in the States are probably paying more than what they should for it, prices there are too damn high.The difference with gas and electricity is you only pay for what you use. With Comcast billing you pay a flat rate so if you use 30GB at the end of the month you paid for 270GB you did not use. They should sell data with the same concept ATT's rollover minutes at least at the end of the month you get to keep what you did not use and if you go over one month you have some saved, basically a bank account. They phone companies should do the same with their data. They are trying to charge the heavy users but at the end of the day the people using less data are getting ripped off.
I think what you missing is Comcast IS a huge volume customer. The price they pay is based on the prices that you were quoted. Their infrastructure is paid for within the large monthly bill you pay.
This fight is really about two things:
1) a requirement from shareholders for ever increasing share price
2) Trying to stretch yesterdays infrastructure into tomorrow. (see point 1)
It has nothing to do with the cost to provide you bandwith.
Honestly, the Data Caps are why we went with the slower Verizon connection over Comcast. They were both the same price; however, Comcast has the data caps.
As for how you can go over 300GB in a month? It is easy, when you have the following:
Remember the data caps apply to a combined upload and download.
As for carriers, I would recommend checking out DSLExtreme, Earthlink and Sonic.net to see if they are available in your area, usually at least one of them will be. For us, they didn't work, because in our area you have to have phone service with them (this rule doesn't apply to all areas though) and the cheapest phone line in our area is $45 per month, not something that I am willing to pay to save $10 on the internet, but again, this is something that is fairly unique to where we live, so these options may be better for you and none of these three have bandwidth caps.
As for how you can go over 300GB in a month? It is easy, when you have the following:
- You have 128GB worth of SD cards for your camera that you fill every other weekend and you upload them to SmugMug.
- You use Netflix, Hulu, etc. and don't have cable.
- You download software, music and videos
- You watch YouTube
- Cloud backup services
Remember the data caps apply to a combined upload and download.
As for carriers, I would recommend checking out DSLExtreme, Earthlink and Sonic.net to see if they are available in your area, usually at least one of them will be. For us, they didn't work, because in our area you have to have phone service with them (this rule doesn't apply to all areas though) and the cheapest phone line in our area is $45 per month, not something that I am willing to pay to save $10 on the internet, but again, this is something that is fairly unique to where we live, so these options may be better for you and none of these three have bandwidth caps.
Ha. That's funny. I never realized that all the buffets I've ever gone to were supporting socialism. I just thought they set the prices to the point that, while they might lose money on some, they'd make money on most.
Apparently taking a risk is socialism. Support capitalism and end all economic risk by making sure nothing is ever free, even when its in the best interest of the company for profit reasons!
And thank you for explaining to me why so many restaurants with buffets simply don't exist anymore.
I've said this for the past couple of years in regards to cell phone data. If ATT brought back the Rollover campaign for data usage, I think it would have a huge impact in generating sales.
Rollover minutes was an excellent marketing campaign and really added value for people who didn't use all their minutes.
OK, so let me see if I understand the reasoning:
Comcast: "We'll sell you one month's worth of flow through our pipes at a rate of 16Mbps for approx. $65."
Me: "OK, I will pay for one month's worth of flow through your pipes at a rate of 16Mbps for approx. $65"
Comcast: "Wait a minute. We oversold our pipe, so if you actually use what you paid for, which is speed of data flow, we will need to build bigger pipe, or limit the amount you can download per month."
Me: "Wait a minute. So you're telling me that I don't get the whole month's worth of service if I exceed some random number? You sold a pie to 20 people, and it's only big enough to feed 8. So you want me to underwrite your costs to bake more pie."
Comcast: "Yeah? So?"
Comcast: "We'll sell you one month's worth of flow through our pipes at a rate of 16Mbps for approx. $65."
Me: "OK, I will pay for one month's worth of flow through your pipes at a rate of 16Mbps for approx. $65"
Comcast: "Wait a minute. We oversold our pipe, so if you actually use what you paid for, which is speed of data flow, we will need to build bigger pipe, or limit the amount you can download per month."
Me: "Wait a minute. So you're telling me that I don't get the whole month's worth of service if I exceed some random number? You sold a pie to 20 people, and it's only big enough to feed 8. So you want me to underwrite your costs to bake more pie."
Comcast: "Yeah? So?"
What does this mean? It means that more and more "regular" users are exceeding that stupid cap and now, rather than threaten us, we will be charged more money. Comcast wins, consumer loses. You can't tell me with the billions they make, they can't improve the infrastructure to accommodate the growing technology.
I live in a suburb of Chicago and I don't have ANY choice in providers. Comcast is the only provider I can use. AT&T isn't available for me.
This really pisses me off!
I live in a suburb of Chicago and I don't have ANY choice in providers. Comcast is the only provider I can use. AT&T isn't available for me.
This really pisses me off!
Govt fees are on TV and phone lines. Zero on internet. Where I live, there is no sales tax on services like internet. So, my $70 DSL plan actually costs me: $70.
So far.