Comments on: More tidbits on the new Comcast cap (updated)

The controversial Comcast monthly bandwidth cap has caused a stir, but what about some of the things not mentioned in the FAQ section?

[lbrick]

Does this include people who use web cams and videophones to communicate? I am deaf and I use a videophone or my Mac iSight camera to make point to point calls to other deaf people and to hearing people via a sign language interpreter.

[Namtok]

Keep the complaints coming!

[MadBand]

If you really want to make a stand... here you go:

http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm

[Dragon_Myr]

Another way to make a stand is to Boycott ALL Comcast Spotlight advertisers and Vehix.com as well as on-demand content. Don't use these peoples' services, don't visit their websites, and do not do business with them. Some of us are stuck under Comcast's monopoly so we'll just have to take it out on their advertisers, partners, and related companies.

[notsatch]

The hell of it is, Comcast will probably raise their rates for this little service enhancement...

I am so glad we finally got FIOS in our neighborhood last spring. Said goodbye to Comcast 3 months ago and never looked back.

[pizzapanther]

I already pay more for the faster Comcast service. So is he saying I will get the same limit as everyone else with the lower plan?

[RobertFHarwood]

Since Comcast's junk mail thinks that I have 6 more residences in my single family house I could problably open accounts under all their names when I go over. I have a home office, I write software and host web sites. My Comcast connection is setup as a failover from the hosting's dedicated connection. I also edit hunting, fishing and travel video. I send and receive video all the time. If their was a home office package I would be interested till Fios came to part of Jersey City.

I remember the days of the Internet being a lot of peering of systems. We had connections using "dark" alarm wires and teletype circuits. With the public starting to feel as if the Internet is a utilty provided by goverment like the roads, it might be time for the goverment to start making that kind of offering and let the private sector offer something better. I remember an article about Scottish streetlights that have solar powered WiFi access points and could run in a mesh configuration. I know here in Jersey City that would make for an interesting utility.

[fordjcl]

Do they take into account households with multiple users? there are 6 internet users in my household, we have netlix and other such means to watch video, two of them play World of Warcraft and other internet based games.

Lets just say that their first warning to our house hold is the moment I cancel our account with them. We are paying for unlimited. If this cap was as unlikely to make a difference to users as they say, they wouldnt be doing it. It brings too much negative publicity for them to do it without an intent for it to effect people in a major way. IMHO they are either trying to avoid upgrading their servers, or they are preparing to create a higher price bracket for actual unlimited internet .

Oh and by they way, there doesnt have to be a contract if its in the advertising. Thats why they have false advertising suits. Bets on when Comcast is going to file bankruptsy?

[Josh.Lowensohn]

It's per account unfortunately. I'm not sure sure if you can have more than one account per residence either.

[Dragon_Myr]

Since Digital Voice doesn't count against the download limit, Vonage doesn't count either, correct?

We paid for unlimited service and now the service is no longer unlimited -- when do rates drop or do we just start sending you half the monthly bill?

Why is there more distortion than ever before in our Vonage calls, and what's with all this Digital Voice spam?

When is FIOS coming to the boonies of Central PA so we can dump Comcast? DSL is not available and satellite is blocked by forest.

[gregrochedc]

Let's see.... Advertise "unlimited" internet.... Then once you've signed up, LIMIT internet access.... Sounds exactly like "bait and switch" to me.... Isn't that.... ILLEGAL?????

[Lerianis]

Yes, it is illegal, and Comcast is going to be taken to court over that sooner or later. In fact, contact the EFF about this and see if they will join all of us in taking this to court.

[gregrochedc]

Thanks to MadBand; I've already filed my complaint!!!

[danthalis]

Not only have I filed a complaint but I've posted the link to everywhere I can think of, and made sure everyone I know files a complaint. PLEASE DO THE SAME!!!

If comcast get's away with it, the rest of the ISP will follow and it will effect EVERYONE

Do your part to stop this!!! in case you missed it File a complaint, mention the fact that they aren't helping you keep track on there end and that you can't keep track on yours (because the trackers from goggle don't take vonage, or multiple computers, or game consoles in their tracking information)

http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm

thank a big THANK YOU to madband for providing the link!!!!

[Lerianis]

I just lodged a complaint against Comcast, referencing the bandwidth caps as a backdoor attempt to stifle competition on the internet and as being inconceivably low for most customers.

[coderxpert]

I guess the thing to do is just to QUIT comcast. I am sure once they start loosing their customers they will realize what stupid mistake they have made.

[coderxpert]

also, this is COMCAST way of dodging the FCC rule when they were capping Bittorent (http://www.google.com/search?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=&=&q=FCC+rule+on+comcast&btnG=Google+Search). They just figured, "If you can cap some, we will cap everyone"

[coderxpert]

I meant to say "If we CAN'T cap some, we will cap everyone"...

[cerebral_but_dull]

I love it! The good old Slowski tortoises win in the end because Comcast trips up their own rabbits. ROFL with the irony of Comcast continuing to run their Slowski commercial -- not even realizing that everybody is laughing out loud at them and their lack of insight into their own ridiculousness :-)

[coggslycogs]

The media News outlets keep reporting that Comcast and other ISP are losing customers at a rapid rate.

Part of this is the bad economy. People are cutting back on what they cant afford. By next March the US should be in a full fledged Economic Great Depression, brought on by 8 years of over spending and outsourcing of Americas Jobs to China and India.

I had Comcast for a year, its measured bandwidth was 1.2 megabit, which was
to slow. I had to buy a Xincom Twin WAN 4-Port Router and connect my Verizon dsl on one port and Comcast on the other, giving me a combined speed of 2.7 megabits.

One year later Verizon Fios arrived in our area. I signed up for it and am getting 16 megabits per second. I canceled Comcast and will never do business with them again.

Verizon has since raised the Fios rates. If they do it much, I will just cancel them and use the free wi-fi in our area, thereby saving about $768 a year. Internet service providers think most of us have gotten addicted to the internet and cant do without it. I know people who have decided that food on the table and the rent paid is more important then surfing the web.

If internet service providers were smart they would stop wasting their money buying print and television ads, instead they would just drop caps and their rates by 20%-30%, and introduce prepaid all you can eat annual plains for a 50% discount.

No this probably wont happen and their customer base will continue to spiral downward as does the US economy and the stock holders will be crying out for blood.

[usarioclave]

Ack! If only FIOS was available in my area! Comcast is full of suck!

[ebmace]

Does anyone know the typical download rate (bytes/minute) that vonage/skype uses?

The other question: how does a "Bandwidth Meter" downloaded via google, which resides on a single PC, track your multiple computer usage and voice over ip (i.e. vonage). They are obviously tracking these numbers already (else they wouldn't be able to tell us we exceeded it), how hard can it be to publish that number on your customer account webpage?

[modifidious08]

That stinks to high hell. As a sole comcast HSI subscriber who pays for the fastest speed that is a load of crap if I ever heard it. Capping is stupid. Setting speed limits is stupid. COMCRAP is a monopoly here in Jacksonville, FL and they will stop at nothing to turn all of their customers away. What a dump comp.! As much as I hate ATT and Verizon I'll have to switch back if these tardo's really want to restrict preexisting customers.

[n8nine]

1. Does the entire IP packet count toward the limit or only the payload?

2. Does broadcast traffic count toward the limit?

3. What measures are being taken to prevent an attacker from blasting a Comcast customer with spam traffic and creating a denial of service attack on that customer?

4. What recourse does a customer have if a friend brings his or her virus-infected laptop over and uses up the limit?

5. Will tools be released to analyze the usage in addition to metering? Often times employees telecommute, it would be helpful to know how much of that is due to work as opposed to entertainment. As a side note, this could potentially discourage telecommuting and increase traffic (not a green choice).

6. Has any analysis been done to see how much traffic is used by common telecommuting applications: NetMeeting, Remote Desktop, VNC, Outlook especially archiving, NFS mounts over VPN, active SSH/Telnet consoles and others?

7. Why isn't there an unlimited option?

Finally, I'd like to comment that Comcast customers engaged in legitimate internet activity will be affected. Much of internet usage is business related. It's true that Comcast's new limit will not affect most customers that use the internet for entertainment only. It will affect employees and small business owners conducting legitimate business from their homes.

Comcast internet, in most cases is faster and more stable than any version of DSL, mircrowave and satellite communication, leaving it as the only viable option for individuals who depend on the internet for their employment or business. Switching ISPs is not a valid option for most. Comcast should not enforce a limit.

[tech_junky48]

It's a valid option if Comcast shuts off your internet. But, if they do, it would be fine. Then you could just stop sending them money.