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?

[Penguinisto]

As a Vonage customer, will my usage of that service count towards the cap, or will I have to prod the Oregon Attorney General's office about antitrust issues? I've used Comcast exclusively since mid-2005, and suddenly I have no desire to bother with them anymore if the simple act of using my phone will get me cut off or artificially reduced (unless of course I pay Comcast for their more expensive and lesser-featured voice plan, naturally...)

Fortunately, I do have FiOS in my neighborhood.

[The_Computer_Man]

Wow....I don't even have Comcast and even I think this is total crap. I'm sure that there is no way I would come even close to that limit, despite the number of Linux ISO's I download....it just really seems like they have taken a wrong(?) turn onto stupid street. It just wows me beyond belief that they would even try something like this. I predict a loss of nearly half their customers withing the next couple of months. Regardless of how much people download, this should be seen as nothing less than an attempt to completely censor the internet. There is not a single person that should stand idly by and wait for things to go downhill from here....

[Andrew Wolfe]

What a total bozo.

He didn't even understand the second question (about usage) and the answers to the last message are completely different than on the Comcast web page.

[limefan913]

Does this cap apply for those of us who are paying more for the 16Mbps connection?

How much money does Comcast have set aside for legal defense of the policy? Would it be cheaper to update the network? :)

As a non-Comcast video customer who uses DirecTV with their On Demand using the internet service I'm quite irked about this. Between that, Pandora and other services, it's not hard to imagine crushing this cap. 3 people doing 3 totally different things at any given time is rough. Hell, often we're multi-tasking too.

We'll see how it goes. If we hit the cap, we'll call Verizon for DSL. We've already checked and know that we can bring at least 2 DSL connections into the house, and for less than we're paying for Comcast. It wouldn't be hard to tie them together using a Linux computer turned router. Yeah. We almost did it before, but figured we could tolerate Comcast. Heh, guess not.

[seeker_all]

After contacting live online help at Comcast, I was informed a request can be made to continue unlimited usage. Below is an extract of the conversation which I hope will help others maintain the product they signed up for - UNLIMITED internet usage.

Denise Donna(Thu Aug 28 2008 22:27:28 GMT-0400 (Eastern Daylight Time))>
Hi.

Jeff_(Thu Aug 28 2008 22:27:45 GMT-0400 (Eastern Daylight Time))>
I spend 61.16 per month purely for internet connection. I use Vonage, data back ups for two computers to internet sources, I utilize online streaming video. How can the MOST expensive internet connection place a limit?

Denise Donna(Thu Aug 28 2008 22:28:41 GMT-0400 (Eastern Daylight Time))>

Your concern is regarding the limit for your internet?

Jeff_(Thu Aug 28 2008 22:28:57 GMT-0400 (Eastern Daylight Time))>

yes

Jeff_(Thu Aug 28 2008 22:30:49 GMT-0400 (Eastern Daylight Time))>

I signed up for unlimited usage because I need the unlimited usage. This is a change in product

Jeff_(Thu Aug 28 2008 22:33:40 GMT-0400 (Eastern Daylight Time))>

how will I be assured that i will continue to have unlimited usage?

Denise Donna(Thu Aug 28 2008 22:34:34 GMT-0400 (Eastern Daylight Time))>

I requested here to give your internet service an unlimited usage.

Jeff_(Thu Aug 28 2008 22:36:05 GMT-0400 (Eastern Daylight Time))>

how do I get confirmation?

Denise Donna(Thu Aug 28 2008 22:37:18 GMT-0400 (Eastern Daylight Time))>

I will give you a confirmation number now regarding the request.


Jeff_(Thu Aug 28 2008 22:37:38 GMT-0400 (Eastern Daylight Time))>

good, now how do I receive confirmation that I do indeed have unlimited access?

Jeff_(Thu Aug 28 2008 22:39:03 GMT-0400 (Eastern Daylight Time))>

thank you, by the way, how long do you assume the request will take to process? And, have you see such requests like mine approved?

Denise Donna(Thu Aug 28 2008 22:39:42 GMT-0400 (Eastern Daylight Time))>

Yes, infact my request has been approved. I also request my internet to be unlimited 2 weeks ago and it was approved.

Denise Donna(Thu Aug 28 2008 22:42:27 GMT-0400 (Eastern Daylight Time))>

Thank you for holding. Your confirmation number is: CRXXXXXXXXX.

[Stormspace]

I'm sorry this just sounds like crap. Why put in a limit if you can just make a call to get it lifted? I wonder if they switched this dude to a commercial account and are going to bill him appropriately.

[seeker_all]

From the originator of this comment:
I have not switched to a commercial account. I provided this information for residential users to keep their unlimited usage.

[m_garcon]

Well, this didn't work for me. One comment from the Comcast rep:
"To make sure I understand, you want a singular exception to our new universal policy based on the fact that sometimes you use large amounts of bandwidth and are worried that it may cause you to exceed our monthly limit?"

Jeff, looks like you go the only exemption.

Then we got into a discussion about bandwidth vs. internet usage. Blah, blah, blah, distraction, distraction, slight of hand, blah, blah.....

The upshot of everything is this: if I exceed 250GB/mo (which I have on numerous occassions), Comcast will "contact" me. If I still need more than 250GB/mo (while working from home - though it's not a home business - because I'm caring for my wife who is being treated for breast cancer!), Comcast will, in the words of the chat rep, "Cut off service."

I feel helpless.

[m_garcon]

Update: Since vehemently requesting that the 250GB cap not be placed on my account, my internet speed has degraded to less than half of what it was before 9/5/08. I would recommend that you DO NOT make this
request of Comcast.

Comcast, I've learned my lesson. Please let me have my previous download and upload speeds back. Please?!!

[parsnipnose3000]

Itried it too. No luck. They also managed to blame the government, tell me that if we go over 250mb we will be charged $15 for every 10gb extra, and that comcast are the last ones to implement a cap and everyone else has already done it.

I pasted the chat where I caught him out lying, a little further down in this thread (just after 7pm pdt)

[ckurowic]

Yeah ok Comcrap. How is voice a separate service? It still uses the SAME bandwidth. You know, the internet is a public utility and as such they have to justify to the federal government why they charge the rates they do. They have been telling the government that they charge so much because they are building new infrastructure, HAHAHA, if this were true they wouldn't need to cap bandwidth.

[alieb77]

"More than 99 percent of our customers do not come close to using more than that amount."
am I missing something? if less then 1% of all their customers are using more then 250g what are they achieving other then getting bad press....

[Stormspace]

They are planning for the future. By putting in caps they will be able to offer services that are not metered to compete with more popular or viable alternatives. Want to use Vonage? Well you can as long you stay under the cap, but if you use us it's unlimited. Same for movie downloads, IPTV, slingbox, and any number of video services that are starting up on the internet.

[Lerianis]

stormspace, that is blatantly illegal and uncompetitive practices. If they tried that, they would IMMEDIATELY have the FCC all over their ***** again, worse than before by 10 to the 10th! I also think that is what this is about, but it is NOT going to fly, especially with the Democratic administration that is almost GUARANTEED to come into power.

[hnavp66]

Haven't seen it in any of the responses, but Slingbox users likely to go over as well. If we can't use these things, might as well go back to dialup since that's what comcast is proposing. Remember those news articles about how the internet will replace TV & Blockbuster, etc..? not under this scenario.... for those companies that deliver video, might want to think about stopping this before people start to bail. Comcast is laughably conflicted since video eats the most bandwidth, and Comcast just happend to deliver video - oh, and I live "oh, phone is completely different."

But for all the people saying "give me At&t's number," is At&t any better? In my neighborhood they just rolled out FIOS so they aren't likely to do anything soon while they grab up customers.

But I will say - Comcast - when "the call" comes from you all, my response will be "go ahead and cancel" and if there's no other choices, then screw it, I don't need the hassle. Wasn't me that dropped a billion laying down the pipes. If my giving you $75 a month is a problem then no sweat. In this economic environment, however, where car makers are finding out what happens when people move en masse, you might not want to get too cute.... Nothing says you can't go out of business. GM thought they were invulnerable too and they'll be running out of cash next year.

What about internet phone usage other than comcast service? I have a 3rd party internet phone on comcast residential account and do not wish it included as bandwidth.

[jasonacg]

Sadly, they are just setting the precedent. It's like the airlines...one starts charging for the second bag, the rest follow. One starts charging for the first bag, then more for the second bag, and the rest follow. Why? Because they've seen that they can do it. I'm afraid this is going to be the same concept...Comcast launches it, and so Time Warner, Verizon, (insert other carriers here), etc, can follow with less of the bad press, because it's already been heaped on Comcast. Consider it "taking one for the team."

The other sad reality is that they are probably willing to deal with the loss of a handful of customers. Too many people will be too lazy to change, too clueless to know what's going on, or low-volume users who don't understand what the big deal is. In the end, they will probably end up getting through this unscathed.

And we'll still get stuck paying more for less.

[Lerianis]

jasonacg, if you really feel that way, you do NOT know the American customer of today. They are VERY well educated in whether they are getting a good deal or not nowadays, and will complain until they get satisfaction or drop a service in favor of another one if that first service doesn't satisfy them.

Comcast has already lost me as a cable TV viewer due to their terrible service and I HEARTILY recommend those of us who have no broadband alternative use the means of dropping Comcast for cable tv and going to direct TV as a means of protest. Comcast service is degraded yet again thanks to their predatory practices. What IS the idea Comcast? Does Comcast prefer being almost universally HATED by the community? The Comcast satisfaction number is VERY low and highlighted by such behavior as they evidence.

[hnavp66]

Hey look at that! I pulled up the Verizon FIOS page and all of a sudden my Comcast internet slowed way down to a crawl. Now, how do you suppose that happened. Strange coincidence, huh?

[Lerianis]

It is just a coincidence. I have Comcast, did the same thing, and my internet stayed at the same speed as usual.

[willemn]

Same here, I cant wait to leave Comcast. They are AWEFUL.
Rip off example 2: In Georgia they offer a "self install kit" when you order cable (simply send the modem and a couple of cables.

Rented an luxury apartment in Illinois, that was completely prewired and ready to go (previous renters had cable as well). Guess what... "sir, the only way this can be done is for you to pay the setup charge and labor cost of an engineer to setup your device" ($60+) After arguing about how ridiculous it was with some cutsomer service rep who did not even know the difference between a coax cable and jump rope, I gave up (of course since I travel for business they also cant work with my schedule, so it takes 6 weeks for them to send some guy who knows less than 1/4 of what I do about networking.)
Of -course all he does is plug in the stupid (cheap piece of junk motorola box) and calls the center to do what I would I did myself in Georgia.
Clearly, they are told we HAVE to earn that extra $60 or so bucks, over every customers dead body.

Next, I move 4 blocks down the street into a bigger place, SAME story. On top of that they INSIST that some fool needs to come and physically pick up my modem from less than a mile away, AND some other gas guzzling, energy wasting Comcast wreck, shows up in front of my door a day later with someone completely different who sets up the EXACT same modem (except it absolutely could not be the one I already had earlier...)

I guess when you work THAT inefficient and basically want to make sure your fleet of trucks and un educated service people stay busy, you most assuredly HAVE to rip people off and make sure you spend all your money on sending out full color printed flyers every other week to the same people who already hate every aspect of Comcast to begin with (another HUGE waste).

Did I mention that I have NEVER talked to anybody who has ANY positive feelings about this company.
Loosers.

[baggyguy1218]

I feel the pain all of you are expressing. I too do not use even half of 250 GB but I do not want to pay the bill and have a limit for any reason what so ever. Remember, Republicans want to help Comcast restrict your freedom!!

[seeker_all]

I am interested in any specific speeches, documents, etc, that show clearly the Republican Party is assisting Comcast in restricting our freedom.

[hyperb0le]

"More than 99 percent of our customers do not come close to using more than that amount."


if 99% of people don't use more than 250GB, why does there need to be a cap at all...?

oh, i know, because that would require comcast to use logic

[radleyma]

I have only one question. Would it be considered anti-competitive for Comcast to put bandwidth caps on third-party internet-based VOIP, movie, and video services, when Comcast's own similar services are uncapped?

[mwo654]

Just to put this into perspective:

14.4 million high-speed Internet customers (http://www.comcast.com/corporate/about/pressroom/corporateoverview/corporateoverview.html)

"a policy that does not affect more than 99 percent of our customers" (see above)

means something under 144000 customers could recieve notices in October.

[kenbank]

I am an IT professional and this is the stupidest idea I've ever heard of. Back when Comcast first started offering internet services they had problems with reliability. My customers would complain of days long outages. Comcast, being an entertainment company first, had the mindset that taking a few days to fix an outage wasn't the end of the world. How wrong they were! The phone companies, being used to providing a service that could mean life or death to its customers, understood their customers' need for reliable communications. They brought that attitude with them to the internet service. In the intervening years Comcast got a clue and its reliability improved. In the beginning they used to insist that only one computer could be connect their modem. Networks were verboten. I had a customer whose Comcast internet service was disconnected after the company learned that they were connecting a network to the service. Over time, however, they moderated that position and actually began encouraging and supporting small networks. I started off discouraging people from subscribing to cable internet in favor of DSL, but over time I, too, moderated my position and started saying it's 6 of one and half a dozen of the other where cable or DSL internet was concerned. In light of this news I am having to rethink my position. I can't imagine why a company would want to alienate any of their customers. If it's really less than 1 percent of users who exceed 250GB/mo then what's the big deal. There has to be another reason. I know that all the Ma and Pa Kettles who signed up with Comcast so they could send and receive email from their kids and grand kids probably use less than 1GB/mo if that. Doesn't that make up for the few that go over? So, again I have to ask, "What's the big deal." All I can say is I'm glad I went with DSL and from now on so will all of my customers.

K Bankston

[GPK91]

There is no way they will get away with doing this, they will loose so many customers and probably end up getting themself wound up in a lawsuit. How can they do this without giving you any indication as to how much of the 250GB you have already used. There is just no way it will happen.

[extirpator]

This limit is VERY low. They use silly numbers on their site to make it sound like a lot more bandwidth than it actually is. For example, they say that this limit is equivalent to 125 standard definition movies at 2GB each, well that is all well in good except that people are moving to HD which is going to use around 4 times the bandwidth. This instantly reduces the amount of movies per month to roughly 31 movies per month. Now lets factor in that services like Hulu are coming into existence, and offering streaming TV shows. Some of the shows are in HD, and that means only 2 hours of streamed HD video per day or you pass your cap... I'm sorry, but this SUCKS