Suddenlink Usage FAQ:

On June 1, 2009, we notified residential Internet customers in our Clovis, New Mexico cable system of a new online tool to help them monitor their Internet usage each month and determine if they are in the typical usage range.

If they are well above the typical range, it could mean several things. For instance: a virus or “spyware” application might have infected a customer’s computer and started generating high levels of Internet traffic, or someone else might be using a customer’s Internet connection without his or her knowledge. To help guard against those issues, we are offering customers a list of steps they can consider, to help make sure their computers and Internet accounts are protected and secure.

We introduced this Internet usage summary tool in Clovis, to evaluate its usefulness, after which we will consider expanding it to all of Suddenlink’s residential Internet customers.

Longtime Stop the Cap! readers will recognize this trick only too well.  When a small cable operator spends its time, talent, and resources on “measuring tools” to help customers “determine if they are in the typical usage range,” it’s only a matter of time before that ‘experiment’ will turn into typical Internet Overcharging activity — usage caps, consumption-based pricing, overlimit fees and penalties, or service termination for those outside of that “typical usage range.”

Suddenlink, one of the nation’s smaller multiple cable system owners serving 1.3 million customers in mostly rural areas, is among the worst-rated providers in the country, based on actual customer reviews.  Its journey towards Internet Overcharging schemes will do its ratings no favor when customers find out.

Suddenlink’s approach is less brazen than earlier Internet Overcharging attempts consumers have fought back.  The company attempts to leverage the usual talking points about Internet activity into a justification for measurement tools, and cleverly tries to suggest the impetus for doing so is to protect customers who might have been hacked or have family members engaged in online activities unknown to others in the home.  But the road that measurement tools provided by a cable company pave today lead to limits and higher pricing tomorrow.

Suddenlink’s contribution to the “education campaign” consumers are being subjected to before the pickpocketing begins does bring some useful information to the table, however.  This small, mostly rural provider, turns in stunning statistics about average customer consumption:

Suddenlink 'Typical Usage' Statistics - Clovis, New Mexico (Suddenlink website 7/23/2009)

Those numbers represent one of three things:

1. Suddenlink is the first provider in a long list of providers producing honest statistics about broadband usage, not the low-ball estimates others have provided to make consumers feel guilty for exceeding them;
2. Suddenlink’s statistics are wrong;
3. People in Clovis download A LOT.

Just about every other major provider, and many small ones, have spent the past year telling the media and the public “the average user” consumes far less than what Suddenlink reports for Clovis, New Mexico:

• Frontier Communications: “Today, the average residential customer on Frontier’s network uses 1.5 gigabytes of bandwidth each month.” — Ann Burr 10/10/2008
• Time Warner Cable: “Our usage data show that about 30% of our customers use less than 1 GB per month.” — Landel Hobbs, COO 4/9/2009
• Time Warner Cable Austin: ‘Users download between 5-6GB per month on average.’ — Scott Young, senior director of digital systems  10/2008
• Comcast: “The average customer uses two to three gigabytes a month.” Jennifer Khoury, Comcast spokeswoman 10/29/2008
• Sunflower Broadband: “Our average users, about 77%, use 6 gigabytes or less of bandwidth per month. Our high-end subscribers, about 2%, use 50 gigs or more.” Sunflower Broadband Website 7/23/2009
• Bell (Canada): “Usage has increased… to more than 10GB (per average user) in 2008.” Bell Internet Usage Tutorial 7/23/2009

For the benefit of Suddenlink subscribers joining Stop the Cap! for the first time, here’s a road map for where things have traditionally gone among every other Internet provider that has introduced “measurement tools” for “your benefit” that were not beaten back by angry subscribers:

… Continue Reading

"As you can see I'm only at 26.35% and (Cogeco's) notification says I'm at 85% (of my allowance)?" (click to enlarge)

“You can trust us, we’re the cable company!”

One major implication of Internet Overcharging schemes is putting your faith in an industry that already strains credulity when it comes to justifying rationing and price gouging your Internet access.

Back in April, we raised the issue of  “meters” and “gas gauges” being used to measure customer usage having absolutely no oversight or verification that the “readings” they were providing actually represented your usage.

Our concerns were justified.

Broadband Reports has been tracking Cogeco customers finding their own measurements completely at odds with the Canadian cable operator that often reports far different numbers.

In the end, whose “meter” will Cogeco trust?  Theirs of course.

Here are some Cogeco customers sharing their frustrations:

“Well today is Friday the 19th of June and the Monitor is still down and with this being the month that we have to pay you would think the system would be up and working properly. I have a strange feeling that come some time next month people are going to open there bills and see extra charges that shouldn’t be there and Cogeco is going to end up losing a bunch of customers.”

“I don’t understand how they can charge for overages if they can’t properly meter their services.”

“Mine is showing 0 for both upload and download for the past 4 days. Then again I am not going to complain about it not reporting my usage. I kinda hope it stays this way.”

“Here’s a direct quote from my overage email received on Friday: “You have reached 100% of your Internet usage monthly limit. You have reached the MAXIMUM of your Internet usage monthly limit. Additional usage charges will be credited this month. Charges for additional usage will not take effect until June 2009.  I also show 40GB of usage on June 1st while each day after shows normal daily habits. Good job Cogeco. Combined with the increased rate for the Pro package, your overage charges are already forcing me to consider other tv and internet providers.”

“I think what this might do is force users to suck down every byte of their Cap to use their connection to the fullest. Before you never cared, because you could always just get what you wanted, when you wanted. But now since its monitored I know I am going to make sure that take full advantage every month.”

“Not showing any bandwidth for the past 3 days – how can Cogeco prove the authenticity of the meter? Bull.”

“This is exactly what I was thinking. Three days without any change to the meter, and I am supposed to pay for this?”

“This morning, it is telling me am I at 92%… there’s no way I did almost 12 GB of transfer yesterday. What is up with this thing? At this rate, I’m going to probably have to fork over some $$ for extra bandwidth this month, but I’m really wondering how accurate this thing is.”

“I called in to see what I’m at for the month, the rep said 68GB – monitor showing 105GB with 4 blank days. Who the hell is right?”

“First time I pay an overage I’m canceling.”

“Even if these are not governed by Weights and Measurements Canada, there would be a lawsuit for billing on services not rendered.  I’m paying for 100GB, and being overbilled at 23GB. Breach of contract, fraud, take your pick.”