Home » Broadband "Shortage" »Consumer News »Data Caps »Editorial & Site News » Currently Reading:

Special Report: Unlimited Internet Access Is the Global Norm, Not the Exception

Phillip Dampier April 7, 2011 Broadband "Shortage", Consumer News, Data Caps, Editorial & Site News 16 Comments

Their bull got you right in your wallet.

The next time you hear a provider telling you usage-capped broadband is the way the rest of the world does business, understand one thing:

They are lying to you.

Stop the Cap! conducted extensive research on just what kind of broadband plans are sold around the world. We researched every member country of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and included several developing and non-aligned countries for good measure.

Our findings are conclusive: Unlimited broadband packages are the global norm. Some providers sell a mix of “light use” plans with usage allowances, but almost always side-by-side affordable, unlimited use options for those who want them. The only exceptions we found:

  • Australia: The most common reason for usage caps comes from lack of capacity.  Countries in the South Pacific continue to experience international capacity shortages that are gradually easing with the introduction of new underseas fiber cables.  Several providers have promised to ease or eliminate caps as new capacity comes online.
  • Canada: For reasons of marketplace concentration, lack of competition, and regulatory malpractice, Canadian broadband has lost its former status as a world-leader in broadband and has now become an also-ran, with almost universally usage-capped and throttled broadband from large cable and phone companies delivering expensive, comparatively slow service.
  • Iceland: International capacity problems limit international broadband traffic with usage caps, but some providers offer unlimited service for domestic traffic.
  • New Zealand: Just like Australia, New Zealand suffers from international capacity problems not seen in Europe, North America, or continental Asia.  Both Australia and New Zealand are using public finances to overcome broadband shortages and reduce or eliminate usage caps.

Some providers in the United States are following Canada’s lead attempting to monetize broadband traffic to maximize profits.  Some Canadian providers claim usage-based billing is necessary to finance the construction of broadband networks across the broad expanse of rural Canada.  Yet Russia, a far larger country with fewer financial resources, succeeds in delivering unlimited service where Canada fails.  Their arguments just don’t add up, and combined with the reality we present here proves providers are telling tall tales about the need for their Internet Overcharging schemes.

If Albania can deliver unlimited Internet access, why can’t your provider?

Country Provider
Albania SAN Ltd. — Delivers “always on, always unlimited” DSL service
Austria Telekom Austria — “Unlimited high speed Internet”
Australia AAPT -- Delivers up to 1TB combined peak/off-peak usage; unlimited plans N/A
Belgium Telenet — Offers multiple plans with no set limits.  Reserves right to reduce speeds for highest use customers
Chile VTR -- Unlimited Access
Czech Rep.
O2/Czech Rep. -- Unlimited Access
Denmark Tele Danmark -- Fast, unlimited service up to 20/2Mbps
Estonia Elion -- Hyperfast 100Mbps Internet, no limits
Finland Elisa -- Fixed broadband without fixed limits
France Orange, Free, and Teleconnect all unlimited, all the time.
Germany Deutsche Telekom -- Internet at a flat rate.
Greece OTE — Conn-X, now up to 24Mbps and no limit.
Hungary Magyar Telekom/DT -- Delivers up to 80Mbps unlimited access.
Iceland All providers have usage caps on foreign traffic due to international capacity issues
India India Bharat Sanchar Nigam, Ltd. offers uncapped plans.
Ireland Irish Broadband promises "fast and unlimited access 24/7."
Italy Tiscali: 20Mbps service, “browse the Internet without limits.”
Japan KCN delivers up to 1Gbps service: rocket fast and never a limit.
Korea All major providers deliver unlimited service packages.
Luxembourg Numericable delivers 30Mbps service with "no volume limits."
Malaysia
Persiasys offers a complete selection of unlimited use plans.
Mexico Cablevision delivers up to 20Mbps service without usage caps.
Netherlands Onesnet provides up to 100Mbps service at a monthly fixed rate.
New Zealand
ISPs in NZ deliver unlimited broadband only during off-peak hours due to capacity.
Nigeria Junisat delivers several unlimited satellite broadband packages.
Norway Telenor sells ADSL and VDSL 'super broadband' packages without limits.
Philippines PLDT and Digitel markets unlimited service in the Philippines.
Poland Telekomunikacja Polska offers ADSL service across Poland with no use limitations.
Portugal Portugal Telecom sells unlimited broadband service, often over fiber networks.
Russia Koptevo, CentroSet, and MegaBistro offer all you can eat broadband buffets.
Singapore
SingTel wants your family to enjoy 15Mbps unlimited Internet access.
Slovakia Slovak Telecom/DT delivers optical Internet with unlimited access 24/7.
Slovenia Telekom Slovenije offers unlimited access to their networks up to 100/100Mbps in speed.
Spain Telefonica delivers unlimited broadband service to all its customers who want it.
Sweden Com Hem, Sweden's national cable company, offers unlimited access up to 100Mbps.
Switzerland Swisscom offers unlimited downloads across all but one "lite use" plan.
Turkey SuperOnline delivers more than a half-dozen unlimited access packages in Turkey.
UK
Virgin Media offers unlimited broadband access in the UK.  BT plans to soon.
0 0 votes
Article Rating
16 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Ed
Ed
12 years ago

It should be noted that some independent ISPs in Canada do offer unlimited plans. Companies like TekSavvy, who purchase last-mile connections from Bell, offer unlimited usage packages at very affordable prices. Of course, that will change if the CRTC approves either wholesale UBB or Aggregated Volume Pricing (AVP).

It should also be noted that SaskTel in Saskatchewan also offers unlimited usage. SaskTel is a Crown Corporation, meaning it’s a government-owned entity. It’s the last province not taken over by Bell or Telus in Canada.

Matt
Matt
12 years ago

That is SAD – Even Mexico is beating us in the Internet race!!!

Baxter
Baxter
12 years ago

this is very sad, i mean heck if russia can do this why cant we??, we use to be a nation that could stand right up against them but now, they must be laughtin, i find it horible that we where the first ones to the moon but we are the last ones in the internet world (well not technically but u know what i mean), why the whole world is basically getting rid of caps we are getting into it cause of greed, and the only reason these companys feel like its ok because of the mother (ma bell)… Read more »

Alexander
Alexander
12 years ago

Maybe in 20 years from now when the government sanctioned AT&T monopoly outfit has planted the US firmly in the 3rd world internet tier, which no doubt will help plunge our economy even further into the Great Depression, it will be Americans running south across the border instead of what we have today.

Don’t forget to join the facebook AT&T bandwidth cap protest group – http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_186439608067383

Terry
Terry
12 years ago

bringing up the rear….. as usual lately it seems.

Daniel
Daniel
12 years ago

Just want to point out that TPG in Australia has now started to offer an unlimited DSL plan.

elly parker
12 years ago

Ireland Irish Broadband promises “fast and unlimited access 24/7.”

I’d be suspicious as to actually how much research was done for that article, especially as the information offered for Ireland relates to one of our minor providers, and when I look at their product they are only offering 4MB with unlimited downloads AND it costs double the price of the closest limited plan….

fred
fred
12 years ago

Let’s go one step further. UBB is killing America’s ability to compete in the real world. Broadband should be one gigabit upload and download…bare minimum via FTTH with mandatory universal service for everyone.

Logan
Logan
12 years ago

You forgot to mention China, where all ISPs also offer unlimited internet for cheaper than Canada, and they are beginning to offer unlimited FTTH for less than ADSL or cable costs here..

youwishme2
youwishme2
12 years ago

Where I live Telus is still legacy in the so called city “medicine hat” and Redcliff at the 3-4Mbps DSL . Plus they stifle their so called competition(retail? partners) by making them charge $10GB overage and the packages are expensive. Even Shaw did that to me too. Telus you can go over quite a bit . But of course thats why I switched to them because of it. If the so called competition wasn’t forced into charging that and had real competitive packages , I would not have switched. So basically there really isn’t competition here. This AVP is still… Read more »

Ed
Ed
12 years ago

It’s getting harder and harder these days to discern the facts. With all the rhetoric being spewed in the media, it’s difficult to discern the truth from the “truth” for the consumer (me). So here’s what I’ve been able to gather on the state of the Internet in Canada (and in particular, southern Ontario, as this is where I reside). Telecom (Bell) Bell Canada owns most of the telecom infrastructure here because they either built the infrastructure themselves or they gobbled up the little regional telecom companies over the years. As for the infrastructure they built for themselves, it’s unclear… Read more »

Ed
Ed
12 years ago

One more note about the CRTC. Philip, I think you’re right about its unchanging stance on the issues. The problem here is that the same people who are involved with the CRTC, are also the ones who were once high-ranking officers at the big telecom/cable companies or will be again in the future. Of course you need expertise at these sort of positions, but there will be some level of conflicting interests which can be problematic.

Limboaz
Limboaz
9 years ago

The bundle mentality is just as pervasive in Canada as the U.S., and caps are seen as the best way to protect the cable industry from competition. Rogers, a huge cable and Internet provider in Canada, lowered monthly usage caps just days after Netflix announced plans to expand into Canada.

Search This Site:

Contributions:

Recent Comments:

Your Account:

Stop the Cap!