TR Editors' blog

Comcast's Bandwidth Cap Is Likely Only the Beginning

As Internet usage grows, companies will continue to struggle over questions of how to fairly apportion bandwidth.

Erica Naone 08/29/2008

  • 7 Comments

Comcast announced a 250-gigabyte cap on individual consumer broadband usage this week. The company takes care to demonstrate that this is a generous limit--the equivalent of roughly 125 standard-definition movie downloads. The move, however, is probably only the beginning of what promises to be a long struggle to balance growing Internet usage against limited infrastructure--a problem that TR editor Larry Hardesty described in depth earlier this year. As Hardesty's story makes clear, there's no easy answer to the problem. I expect to see a lot of change to Internet service as providers, companies, and consumers wrestle with one another.

Print

Close Comments

To comment, please sign in or register

Forgot my password

carbonmind

9 Comments

  • 1262 Days Ago
  • 08/31/2008

Comcast's stated restrictions on Bandwidth Usage

The Service is for personal and non-commercial residential use only. Therefore, Comcast reserves the right to suspend or terminate Service accounts where bandwidth consumption is not characteristic of a typical residential user of the Service as determined by the company in its sole discretion. Common activities that may cause excessive bandwidth consumption in violation of this Policy include, but are not limited to, numerous or continuous bulk transfers of files and other high capacity traffic using (i) file transfer protocol ("FTP"), (ii) peer-to-peer applications, and (iii) newsgroups, whether provided by Comcast or a third party. You must also ensure that your use of the Service does not restrict, inhibit, interfere with, or degrade any other person's use of the Service, nor represent (as determined by Comcast in its sole discretion) an overly large burden on the network. In addition, you must ensure that your use of the Service does not limit or interfere with Comcast's ability to deliver and monitor the Service or any part of its network.


To read their full terms and conditions go to http://www.comcast.net/terms/index.jsp

Reply

JoeTan1980

1 Comment

  • 1260 Days Ago
  • 09/02/2008

Re: Comcast's stated restrictions on Bandwidth Usage

If this is the case, should they put this bandwidth restriction in thier ads ? Let's says $40 per month / 15 mb/s - 250 GB per month.

Reply

z0rr0

99 Comments

  • 1260 Days Ago
  • 09/02/2008

Re: Comcast's stated restrictions on Bandwidth Usage

Remeber this phrase: "nor represent (as determined by Comcast in its sole discretion) an overly large burden on the network." That's one person today generating 1gb, and a thousand tomorrow, generating 1kb each. If Comcast never invests another penny in infrastructure, it can, at its sole discretion, determine that more and more of its captive users are creating a load, and therefore should be charged extra. Pure profit! This is where I think that a national policy is sorely lacking. 

Reply

jmaximus9

86 Comments

  • 1258 Days Ago
  • 09/04/2008

Backdoor to anti net nuetrality

This is their way around net neutrality. They are determined to put toll booths on the info super highway. I for one plan on dumping them and switch to WOW.




Reply

rttedrow

63 Comments

  • 1257 Days Ago
  • 09/05/2008

Re: Backdoor to anti net nuetrality

They're thumbing the Comcast nose at the FCC -- as well as every municipality with which they've negotiated a monopoly agreement.  I see this as the end of Comcast.

Reply

Guest (gillyhans)

  • 1257 Days Ago
  • 09/05/2008

Re: Backdoor to anti net nuetrality

Are there alternatives? I doubt. If there were alternatives, they would not be formulating such policies.

Reply

mkogrady

425 Comments

  • 1257 Days Ago
  • 09/05/2008

Market Forces will Prevail

The cap only means that Comcast can put a customer in a headlock (or wallet lock) until someone new enters the market space they're occupying. AT&T will put in something, or a Cellular offering will become available or Meraki will make their widgets less costly and a free net will appear.

Once this happens, Comcast (or Cox, AT&T etc) will have to be more accomodating or lose customers.

Maybe even the users will get sick of the Internet and stop using it all together and keep their money in their wallets for a change.

Saving Money by not spending it on frivolous things like email, spam, viruses, internet games - even Cable TV  ... GEEZ WHAT A SICK THOUGHT!

Go ahead and let them cap - it's a matter of time till they come around and see the light!

Reply

About

Insights, opinions, and our editors' analysis of the latest in emerging technologies.

Subscribe to the TR Editors' blog RSS Feed

Advertisement
Advertisement

Facebook

Advertisement