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?

[simon the cat]

I live in a flat in San Francisco that has 4 people/bedrooms .
We all are on our computers more that we watch tv.
Netflix,P2P,itunes,cnet TV, etc.
And 2 of us often work from home(online).
This does not seem fair . But I guess i will just have to wait and see...

[mgarc1125]

time to cancel comcast!

Not only will I cancel comcast but im going to stick it to them by convincing all my friends and family to cancel as well and switch to someone else.

Comcrap strikes again. Sending us daily messages telling us how they have increased our service speed, and then coming out with caps. So we can download a 50 byte email every day at amazing speeds.

Thanks alot Comcrap, for showing that to you customers serve as a form of toilet paper where you can clean your backside. We dismantled AT&T for anti-competitve practices. Looks Like Comcast is next in line for the chopping block.

[Lerianis]

They are next on the chopping block. The FCC has ALREADY gotten on their case once this year... apparently they are going to have to get on Comcast's case once again, with monetary fines this time.

[ITsince67]

Read an article the other day where Comcast had signed a contract to raise their speed to 80Mbps. So maybe the 250GB limit is a...."marketing incentive" to get high-users to move to the higher level service?

[ITsince67]

A few years ago, the ISPs got a bill passed by Congress that they could retain more of their earnings in return for building a larger, faster, Internet in the US. Since then, in Japan - almost the entire country has been wired for speeds the US may not see in my lifetime. And yet, Japan started building after the US. Maybe in the US, too much of the money went for employee bonuses?

When building the wired access was at its peak, many localities would let one ISP tear up the roads to lay cable. And when they got done, another ISP would come in to do the same thing. A few (way too few) localities were smart enough that the locality laid & now maintains the cable and leases access to their wires to the ISPs. That way, if an ISP does not "perfom well" they can be replaced. Once Comcast has laid cable in an area, its almost impossible for a government (city, town, county) to kick them out.

I suspect that what is happening is similar to all the "credit woes" that was caused by mortgage loan officers & real estate agents selling houses to people with 0% down, unconfirmed incomes, and inflated house prices. Comcast, and other ISPs, have sold "unlimited access" - but now that people have actually started using the Internet up to its potential, now the ISPs are all saying - "You are using it too much. You need to reduce your usage or pay more."

When the US had a strong Federal Trade Commission, this would have been called "bait & switch" and "false and misleading" advertisement. These days, the companies just say "Its not my fault." and get away with it. A few years in a prison cell with Bubba, might motivate them to practice ethics in business.

[disco-legend-zeke]

if 250 gig cap is $25 then 25 gig user should pay $2.50

[driver623]

I don't even have a home phone anymore because we all have cell phones but Verizon gave me a dedicated DSL line with unlimited usage for 45.00 a month.

seems Comcast it upset with the FCC ruling in turn and screwing their customers for it. I say on Oct. 1 everyone call and cancel "their all of their cable services". When comcast bought out at&t internet they went and limited the emails you could send out, now limit your use and lower the speed. For a company that makes lots of money in the porn business, they really know how to screw the customers. We people need to stand up to this crap and fight for what WE pay for. For what I see they always been behind in upgrades of any sort.

[JKCDLC]

I strongly agree with a previous comment about the afvertising being downloaded, is this part of the CAP, ALSO THE STREAMING VIDEO WHICH I DID NOT ASK FOR?
My contract with Comcast (originally with ATT broadband) seems to be getting rewritten without my input or signature, is this valid legally?

[moore614]

This is nothing less than an all out attack on competition in the new digital entertainment space. I received the new policy statement in my email this morning. The day after I signed up for their phone service. If I get so much as one phone call from Comcast, they won't have to kick me off, I'll cancel ALL my services immediately.

We need legislation that opens the doors to full competetion in the telephone, tv/cable and ISP businesses.

[parsnipnose3000]

Hey people, I just completed a chat with customer "support". Apparently,

1. The government MADE them do it
2. They are the last ones to do it
3. We will be charged $15 for every 10GB over the 250GB limit. See below. Sorry it's long.

His first post is a response to me asking him to give me unlimited usage, as per Jeff's post earlier in this thread.

Lauren(Mon Sep 29 21:31:51 PDT 2008)>Okay, it looks like I will not be able to get you the unlimited usage

Lauren(Mon Sep 29 21:32:00 PDT 2008)>As of Oct 1, no one will

dorian_(Mon Sep 29 18:32:06 PDT 2008)>why is that?

Lauren(Mon Sep 29 21:32:23 PDT 2008)>Everyone will have 250 gb and then $15 per 10Gb over

dorian_(Mon Sep 29 18:32:54 PDT 2008)>oh. so they are charging for overages too?

Lauren(Mon Sep 29 21:34:58 PDT 2008)>Yes, it is a new policy because the government change it

Lauren(Mon Sep 29 21:35:04 PDT 2008)>Comcast had to change it

dorian_(Mon Sep 29 18:35:57 PDT 2008)>the government changed what? sorry, i don't understand that part.

Lauren(Mon Sep 29 21:36:24 PDT 2008)>The government changed the reguations regarding the usage

dorian_(Mon Sep 29 18:36:44 PDT 2008)>regarding the 250gb limit, or the charge for overage?

Lauren(Mon Sep 29 21:37:03 PDT 2008)>Yes

Lauren(Mon Sep 29 21:37:12 PDT 2008)>It was unlimited but they changed it to 250

dorian_(Mon Sep 29 18:37:38 PDT 2008)>so they implemented the cap, but not the overage charge?

Lauren(Mon Sep 29 21:38:23 PDT 2008)>Correct

dorian_(Mon Sep 29 18:38:48 PDT 2008)>so why haven't all the other ISPs done that then?

dorian_(Mon Sep 29 18:39:06 PDT 2008)>and.. can you please point me to the source of that information?

Lauren(Mon Sep 29 21:39:18 PDT 2008)>All ISP's have, Comcast was the last to do it

dorian_(Mon Sep 29 18:39:26 PDT 2008)>because i am somewhat doubtful that is actually true

Lauren(Mon Sep 29 21:39:58 PDT 2008)>http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=9837

dorian_(Mon Sep 29 18:41:11 PDT 2008)>that says comcast is doing it, others are likely to follow

dorian_(Mon Sep 29 18:41:33 PDT 2008)>doesn't say everyone has done it

dorian_(Mon Sep 29 18:42:03 PDT 2008)>if comcast was the "last to do it" why does it say the other isps

will be "likely to follow"?

dorian_(Mon Sep 29 18:43:02 PDT 2008)>i can't see where it says the government imposed this

dorian_(Mon Sep 29 18:44:01 PDT 2008)>in fact. it doesn't say that anywhere at all.

dorian_(Mon Sep 29 18:44:09 PDT 2008)>so i'll ask again...

dorian_(Mon Sep 29 18:44:35 PDT 2008)>please point me to a reliable source which states this was government

imposed...

dorian_(Mon Sep 29 18:44:51 PDT 2008)>and also that comcast was the last to do it.

Lauren(Mon Sep 29 21:46:27 PDT 2008)>Sir, I am sorry, but that is all the information that I have on the

cap

Lauren(Mon Sep 29 21:46:40 PDT 2008)>The cap was placed on by the government

Lauren(Mon Sep 29 21:47:03 PDT 2008)>We do not have the ability to take it off and make it unlimited

Lauren(Mon Sep 29 21:47:10 PDT 2008)>The over charge is from Comcast

dorian_(Mon Sep 29 18:47:14 PDT 2008)>oh, i see. haha. so i caught you lying and now you have talked

yourself into a hole. ok, you'd better start loing for a new job. it' FIOS for me

dorian_(Mon Sep 29 18:47:31 PDT 2008)>thanks for your "help"

dorian_(Mon Sep 29 18:47:49 PDT 2008)>in future, please don't tell lies

dorian_(Mon Sep 29 18:47:55 PDT 2008)>you get caught out in the end

Lauren(Mon Sep 29 21:49:31 PDT 2008)>Analyst has closed chat and left the room

analyst Lauren has left room

[icemaniceman1111]

this live chat with a comcast rep should be of interest.

highlights.....

bandwidth cap not in place yet

you can request unlimited data but will have to take the original speed you signed up for

currently my house gets 21mb down but when I signed up I got 6mb down

hmmm...... 21mb with the cap or 6mb without

watch out for the tricky stuff below, I am not sure if it was intentional or a miss-communication.

----------------------

date october 10, 2008

b------_ > my concern is for bandwidth cap comcast has imposed

comcast rep > I'm doing great, b------. Thank you for asking.

b------_ > I use many services at my house and need the unlimited service I signed up for

comcast rep > How may I help you?

b------_ > I did not agreed to a capped service and I request that you reinstate my unlimited service that I signed up for... thanks

comcast rep > I understand that you want to have your original Internet speed?


b------_ > yes i request to have my original speed reinstated

b------_ > now...wait

b------_ > I am getting 21 mb down will that be changed?

comcast rep > I understand that you want to have your speed back, b------.

b------_ > or will I get the current speed?

comcast rep > Yes, once bandwidth has been regulated, you will get your original speeds back.

b------_ > well speed and bandwidth capacity are two different thing correct?

comcast rep > Right.

b------_ > hmm.....so you can reinstate my unlimited bandwidth but you will throttle back my speed to my original speed? correct? and that speed was __________mb/sec (fill in blank)

b------_ > i like my current speed

comcast rep > That is correct, b------.

b------_ > so will my speed decrease?

comcast rep > Your speed will be back to what you have signed up for.

b------_ > and what speed will that be?

comcast rep > Let me go ahead and check on that for you.

comcast rep > For verification purposes, may I have the account number and the account holder's full name?


comcast rep > I have checked on your account and I have seen that you are currently subscribed to 6Mbps Internet service.

b------_ > I see, however.....I like 21mb service you currently so generously provide to my neighborhood

b------_ > so if i want to keep that upgrade then i would have to accept the current cap of 250gb/month correct?

b------_ > hmm....

comcast rep > You are correct.

b------_ > I see....

b------_ > so.....

comcast rep > Also, while Comcast has not announced any plan to cap the Internet usage of our customers, we are "currently evaluating this service and pricing model to ensure we deliver a great online experience to our customers."

b------_ > oh....so currently there is no cap?

comcast rep > We will keep you informed if bandwidth capping will be implemented.

b------_ > and will you notify me my email if there is one?

comcast rep > Yes b------. We will notify you.

comcast rep > Do you have any other concern?

b------_ > excellent, thanks and you provide a usage meter I assume that will be router or account based so I can keep track of total usage from my house?

comcast rep > As of the moment, we do not have that tool yet.

b------_ > ok great, let me know when you have it, you have been a great help and most informative

b------_ > have a great day

b------_ > bye

[DJH99]

More worrisome is that the Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) states that the 'The Service is for personal and non-commercial residential use only'. This means that people working from home (checking email, using ftp for file transfer) are in violation of the policy and may have their account closed at any moment. Comcasts support says upgrade to a $90 business account.