Comcast’s temporary withdrawal of its 250GB usage cap did not last long. Although the company rescinded its usage limit in May to consider new options on how to handle “heavy users,” it hinted caps might be back, sometimes accompanied by automatic overlimit fees for customers who exceed their allowance.
Broadband Reports has learned Comcast plans to introduce a new 300GB usage cap on its customers in Nashville with an overlimit fee of $10 for each 50GB a customer runs over their limit.
Comcast customers in Nashville were told in an e-mail message from the company the new usage cap and overlimit fee represented “an evolution” for Comcast’s broadband service.
From Comcast’s website in Nashville:
When you exceed 300 GB of data usage, you will receive an email, an in-browser notice and an additional 50 GB will be automatically allocated. In order for customers to get accustomed to the new data usage management plan, we will be implementing a courtesy period. That means you will not be billed for the first three times you exceed the monthly 300 GB allowance during a 12-month period. Should you exceed the monthly allowance after the courtesy period expires, you will automatically be charged $10 each time we need to provide you with an additional 50 GB of data for usage beyond your plan.
How generous of them.
Customers traveling southeast from the city down Interstate 24 can be in Chattanooga in several hours and experience EPB Fiber — a community broadband provider that provides speeds up to 1,000Mbps and does not have usage caps, nor a “need” to charge customers another $10 whether they exceed their usage cap by 1 or 49 gigabytes.
Comcast’s newest Internet Overcharging scheme takes effect Aug. 1, and currently applies only to Nashville customers. Those who want to give Comcast a piece of their mind about the subject of usage caps can share their feelings by calling Comcast Customer Security Assurance at 1-877-807-6581 to speak with a service representative. Let them know you want no part of Comcast’s unnecessary usage caps and overlimit fees. If EPB and Google Fiber can offer unlimited broadband without any problems, so can Comcast. Let them know how you feel.
Phillip, do you have some way to contact Al Franken? I’ve tried sending him numerous emails, but I’m not anyone important and I don’t live in his state, besides so he may not be as inclined to read my emails. I ask because I believe he is one of the only congressmen who could ever look into this and call the ISPs out on what should be an illegal practice. He may even be able to get some laws worked in place to outlaw pointless data caps. I know you’ve gotten more recognized in political circles, I’m just wondering…what else… Read more »
I will see if anyone in Chuck Schumer’s office has any contacts with one of Franken’s legislative aides. Sen. Franken has already made disparaging remarks about data caps, although passing laws to outlaw them will go nowhere in the GOP-controlled House. We also have some elected officials on the Democratic side who suck from AT&T’s cash cow.
The problem with Al Franken, other than the fact that he stole the election, yes we know about that raw deal, and “Chuck You” Schumer, is that they constantly vote FOR regulations that lead to the imposition of Data Caps in order to “Save The Planet”. Don’t ask me how internet usage factors into Global Warming (snicker), but they’re using it to either stop you or benefit their PAC donors. The Republicans don’t have the power to Stop the Democrats relentless pursuit of eliminating your Liberties, and that includes your freedom to use the Internet… that Al Gore invented (laugh).
Is there anything preventing Nashville from doing what Chattanooga did?
STC: check this out:
http://allthingsd.com/20120730/want-gigabit-internet-you-dont-have-to-move-to-kansas-city/
I wish more cities would give this a try.
Comcast CEO Brian Roberts made 26.9 million in 2011. Luxury for him, austerity for customers
Obviously you’re not aware of how trickle down economics work Sir, those customers will be reaping the benefits of such wealth generation…
… if they helped build Roberts’ yacht or executive jet or clean his bathroom.
Hey there’s a lot of bathrooms to clean in his 12+ million dollar Martha’s Vineyard vacation home.
The main reason I’m trying to Ditch Comcast. They’re big Leftist supporters. Then again, so is the majority of Hollywood… Bitch about Capitalists while they laugh all the way to the bank, and curse and swear when their content is handed out for free. Remember the last big Hollywood strike and Michael Moore’s lawsuit ?
I also remember how the “free market” Masters of the Universe that demanded deregulation and “hands off” to let the marketplace work itself out lasted right up until the 2008 Great Recession, when the same people that got the country into this mess begged and pleaded for a taxpayer-backed bailout. They got it and nobody went to jail. I missed that chapter on the free market economy in Ayn Rand’s books. To this very day, I still wonder why we haven’t applied RICO laws against one of the biggest investment bank perps around — J.P. Morgan Chase. Another day, another… Read more »
Expect Holder to rubber stamp the Comcast-TW merger since Comcrap pours an ungodly amount of money into the pockets of Democrats. This will make the situation worse. Their prime focus will be to make it harder and harder to cut cable by putting more desirable content exclusively in higher cable tiers, while continuing to cap Internet usage and extort money from streaming services. BTW, why is 250 GB such a magic number? I think it’s because cable companies have figured out that it is enough for people who have a cable package and stream as a supplement to that, while… Read more »