zoroaster

September 11, 2008 at 11:13pm

Since Enron left we've got a new fat-cat to abuse on blogs.

 SWEET!!

Comcast was rated one of the worst utility providers in the nation. Since they took over AT&T cable service in 2002-2003 they have single handedly managed to piss off even the homeless by making them pay for service fees; and remind telling them if they have a problem with it they can feel free to dial their call center in India and Canada. How's aboot that ya canucks?!

OK so not the homeless, but...

This is the most slimey utility companies to come out of the woodwork since Qwest. Now that they are adopting the Enron style of accounting you can bet they're next on the chopping block of wall street scandals . Instead of criminalizing the customer who shells out $60-100/month on internet access maybe they should go after their CEOs and their fat packages to subsidize some network infrastructure improvements. Typical users who want bandwidth are willing to pay for it, but not be criminalized for it.

 

Comcast can go suck the ballz of justice if they think they're going to get away with this $hit. I hope Verizon takes advantage of this and starts killing comcast with fiber optic to the premise.

 

Comcast's days are numbered. Dark Fiber RULEZ!!

 

hogkill

September 11, 2008 at 10:14am

Take a look at what I have to use.

https://www.rogers.com/web/link/portableBrowseFlowBegin?productID=YPPT

It doesn't even look like that.  I had to get an external one because the cellphone tower is 10km away.  I can't even get a decent signal in the summer because the radio waves have to go through so many leaves.  When it's raining I can't get crap, when you cellphone-tards start talking you affect my ping, and once a week I have to climb out a window and up the roof to adjust a white box so I can even see 2 signal lights, let alone the optimal 5.  To top it all off I'm one of these "pirates" and my cap is set at 30 gigs a month and 1.5Mbps down for 40gigs a month. And whenever I go over the cap I notice speed reduction, or my router "mysteriously" conks out for hours.

 So excuse me if I'm not sympathetic to all your whining about a 250GB cap.  I couldn't even get anything but dial up, up until 2 years ago so quit your complaining.

guest001

September 10, 2008 at 7:58pm

"As part of our preexisting policy, we will continue to contact the top users of hour high-speed internet service and ask them to curb their usage,"

It would be our as in the pronoun, not the unit of time. 

Ntldr

September 10, 2008 at 10:32am

Right about now 250GB per month would be a great thing for me.  The company I go through only allows 25GB per month and I am a gamer. 

Wolf

September 08, 2008 at 1:48am

Honestly if one of their NOC's was to go BOOM, I'd stand up and salute the flag!

 

"Any sufficiently advanced technology
is indistinguishable from magic."
--- Arthur C. Clarke

ubuwalker31

September 06, 2008 at 7:57am

I've had so much angst and trouble with Comcast TV and Internet that when I moved, and I had an option of either Cablevision or Comcast, I switched over to Cablevision.  Anything but Comcast.  Verizon FIOS.  DSL.  DirectTV or DishNetwork.

ferds7

September 05, 2008 at 4:46am

Years ago companies like Comcast could package cable tv, internet and phone.  First came cell phones that destroyed their market in the phone industry.  Now online video is becoming more and more popular each year. Look where it's came in 2 years. I would imagine less and less people are wasting their money on overpriced cable tv packages that do not deliver.

Companies like Comcast are a thing of the past. They've lost their phone customers, they're losing their cable tv customers and probably not very soon but sometime in the next 10 years I would imagine that they will lose their internet customers as WiFi internet becomes larger, more wide spread and cheaper.

 

For the record, stock in Comcast is probably not very good.  The question is, will Cell phone service providers have better luck or will people just start do voice conversations online instead?

chrisj979

September 04, 2008 at 10:20pm

I say think outside the box cause people keep posting how they THINK 1 single person would use the internet, but the reality is MOST households consist of more than 1 person using the internet, and if you are a gamer or have them in your household this cap can hurt.  Also BANDWITH IS NOT ONLY MOVIE AND MUSIC DOWNLOADS, it also includes every page you browse to, thoses pop up ads you hate so much, the news stories and hurricane updates you jump online to get, all eatup bandwith.  It would seem like a small number but multiply it by 2 or 3 then times 30 or 31 days it is a big chunk.  So as for the cap on the residential customers I say to Comcast 4 q's QQQQ

Now let me also explain that I use Comcast and the cap does not appy to me because I switched to the Business plan.  Yes you can do this for internet service at your home (they will not let you get business Cable TV at your home though), and if you are paying $60 a month then you should switch, cause I pay $80 a month and I get a static IP and 16MB down and 2MB up (no it is not speedboosted it is constant), I also get a different support number that is answered by a LIVE PERSON 24/7, no voice prompts, no recorded lady, straight to a person, even if I call at 2:30am.  How am I paying $80 I wheeled and dealed.  You should notice that when you goto the Business site they do not show prices for internet services, that is because the price is negotiable, you have to talk to a sales rep, who basically gets a comission for signing you up, but you can ask for a lower rate, with me they started at $90, I asked how much more could you take off that price.  If you and your neighbor called at the same time and talked to two different people, it is very likely you will be paying different prices for the same package. Say you called and talked to Joe and he gave you a price and got you setup, if you call sales back and ask about a price, when they see you called before and talked to someone, they will not give you a price they will say you need to talk to Joe he is your sales rep.

Do not get me wrong I am not a Comcast Advocate but it's all we have in my lovely new sub-division, we could get ATT but they only let so many people have it then everyone else has to go cable.  But I do say give them a call and do not go with the first price out of their mouths, ask them for a better price, tell them you know someone paying $80 for the same thing, hell say $75.  One thing to know is companys do not like to play games with their business accounts.  So for all those who do not care and/or have other options do what you like.  But for my fellow people who use the internet to the fullest and/or have no choice but to stay with Comcast, here is a way around their BS, and gaining a static IP and a live support person whenevr you have trouble instead of waiting on hold and going through voice prompts thatask you the same question the person answering the phone is just going to ask you again.  The static IP is optional you don't have to get it but I like it.  Oh did I also mention they give you a comcast 4 port gateway to use FREE, while they CHARGE residential customers to use the comcast modem.

Beat them at their own game, cause you know if the ever try to cap the business side, business accounts will drop left and right, and we all know that's the side the bread is buttered on.

And for those who think we are greedy or abusing the internet, or saying the caps are good cause we are slowing them down, I'll say this "most of the e-mail you say we slow you down in getting, YOU DO NOT READ ANYWAY, for the ones you do read (jokes, chain letters, 20MB baby photos, etc.) you are slowing us down with those useless e-mails, pick up the cell-phone you have all those minutes on and call the person you are talking to and straighten the matter out instead of 5000 e-mails back and forth just to find out they meant the green with white stripes and not the white with green stripes.

M4knor

September 04, 2008 at 11:08am

So what about situations like mine where I'm in college and live in a house with 3 other gamers....so that means that really all each of us have to download is 62.5 gb....which through demos, itunes, and patch downloads for games, is not all that much....wtf..i say....wtf

vig1lant3

September 01, 2008 at 8:54pm

How about all the ads I'm bombarded with that I don't want to see.  That chews up bandwidth.  As a customer I'm imposing a 0kb per month advertising cap on Comcast.  I don't want to see or hear anything that I didn't ask for.  I'll can write them a letter full of BS too if they want me to explain my new policy as a consumer.  It will help protect them as the ISP from having to provide me with too much bandwidth.

gatorXXX

September 01, 2008 at 4:06am

Yep! Next is total metering! You know, Obama (if elected and I pray he isn't), wants to charge FED tax on everything you buy off the net and wants to charge (like stamps) for sending and receiving E-mail! This comcrap shiot is just the first step like you said. I emailed comcrap about this and they sent a long e-mail explaining thier decision. Basically, in a full paragraph, they explained that it's not the bandwidth, it's protecting YOU and OTHERS from internet fraud and virus attacks...whatever....we can do that on our own end without having to be capped. If anyone wants to see the letter...I,ll post it!

trh70

August 31, 2008 at 8:32pm

I have comcast, and i do not appoach the cap they have. Even though i download movies, tv shows, music and yes I do engage in some hefty bit torrent action:) After all this I wont be hitting the cap. But thats not the point, it is the act of putting a cap that is the point. Right now 250 gigs is a lot, but how about in a couple of years. Next we will have a metered internet. I see it coming. You pay for every thing gig you send or recieve. Thats where this is leading too. This 250 gig cap is the first step.

 

trh

Queenof1

August 31, 2008 at 7:23pm

When the limit was undisclosed, no one was happy. Now that the limit is disclosed, no one is happy.

If the limit is based on the average customer's usage, then as the average increases, one would think that the cap would increase as well. The 250GB cap could easily become 500GB in a few years. Who knows? Unfortunately, my crystal ball is broke so I can't say for sure. ;)

The overage fee imposed by various companies is meant to be punitive; that is, "Don't go over the GB limit or else you will pay way more per GB than your monthly rate."

dbotr

August 31, 2008 at 6:28pm

it seems to me that 250 gigs today may sound like a lot.  but please give some thought to your remarks.

at one time i was told that a 20mb harddrive is all i would ever need.  I was also told that 2mb of ram is all i would ever need.  As we use our computers more and more you will find that your bandwidth usage is going up and up.  an rss feed here checking email. and now netflix renting movies over the net.  and dont forget on demand.

so yes today 250gigs sounds like a lot but in two years will it be??

averageGrod

August 30, 2008 at 11:10am

If Comcast had launched with this cap no one except pirates would be complaing. A few small home businesses may have to upgrade to business accounts but your average consumer doesn't even come close to this cap. I have 3 pcs and an xbox. Stream Netflix movies all the time, play games online, and download my fair share of large legal files(demos, videos, iTunes, podcasts). I don't come close. This will help curb piracy.

 Comcast should have been doing this from the start rather than overselling thier bandwidth. Anyone who lives next to one of these cap poppers will see a nice increase in bandwidth at the end of the month. I don't think Comcast forsaw how much content there would be to consume. Even the people complaing that 125 moviesper month in a house of 2-3 people isn't enough probably don't actually watch 4 movies per day. 

 I just feel bad for the grandmas with unsecured wi fi who get a letter telling them to curb thier usage or face a fee.

bcweir

August 30, 2008 at 9:15am

Did you know that on average, compared with the rest of the world, the USA has the SLOWEST broadband connections of any nation on earth?  Most broadband connections here are anywhere from 2 Mb to 10 mb!  Higher connections than that, while you can get faster connections in certain areas and within certain ISP's like Verizon, are in the minority.  In southeast Asia for example, you can get internet speeds in excess of 25 to 50 Mb per second.

The verdict?  Comcast is putting these caps on because they know their outdated infrastructure doesn't allow for everyone to have a truly world-class internet service.  Think about it.  If Comcast's equipment and technology were truly state of the art, why have the caps at all?  Why have a piddling 10 Mb speed ceiling if you could easily deliver that much more competitively?  That's the only reason I can think of for singling out prodigious downloaders:  when you don't have enough bandwidth to go around to begin with, you're showing signs of your consumer base literally outgrowing the outdated technology you're using to begin with.

 

zodi

August 30, 2008 at 5:08am

Telus is currently cancelling users accounts for going over 10 GB on there "Unlimited" Wireless access card plan (EVDO Card).   Guess its not unlimited after all.

 What I find kind of interesting though is these companies will give you 250 GB for say $60 a month.  But if you go over that they want to charge you like 10$ a GB or for 10 GB.    Why don't they just charge you the $0.24 cents a GB it costs normall if you go over (based on a $60 monthly plan).

 Thats what is really unfair, gouging the high usage user because he uses technology more then others instead of making it a resonable cost for the extra usage.

 

Avery

August 29, 2008 at 11:47pm

Well you also have Shaw 10mb connection with 100GB allowance at $29 per month up here in Canada too, I think 250GB is more than enough.

chaos.13037

August 29, 2008 at 9:39pm

Up here in Canada the best plan Rogers offers has a 90GB bandwidth cap for $55/month.

So before you start complaining start thinking of the poor Canucks north of the border just scrapping by on a measly 90GB cap. I'm sure there are some worse stories from Europe too.

But seriously, they're just giving a defined limit to something that they've been enforcing covertly for awhile anyway. At least they're giving clarity to the situation.

Is it really that bad people? Really, c'mon. 

Its a large amount of bandwidth for most people, if its not enough for you, shop around and take your business elsewhere. If this is the best/only service available then start budgeting bandwidth like you would your paycheque.

It's entirely doable. Just remember that people around the world get by on less.

Man, I just realized, this argument could be applied to food, oil and credit too.

Ha Rotto il Gamer

August 29, 2008 at 8:02pm

comcast is pushing its already unhappy coustermers even farther over the edge, first, no digital broadcasting through their boxes, now this, whats next, censored internet.

i can smell the lawsuites now, and they smell good!!!

ferds7

August 29, 2008 at 4:59pm

Hopefully all the other companies don't follow suit and hopefully scam-cost gets buried for this. What this really prevents is people being able to share and upload files they've made to increase their internet presence or host their own webserver.

 Obviously a company such as these guys probably wouldn't even know the definition of sharing if you asked them.

Every other country is trying to push forward on bandwidth as the internet demands more every year and now one of the US's biggest companies is becoming communist and trying to limit it.

Cache

August 29, 2008 at 4:28pm

Comcast could potentially open itself to lawsuits if it allows traffic that a user might deem unnecessary, or unwanted.  Any ads by comcast, its affiliates, or any information sold to third parties for advertising could certainly be considered hostile intent by the provider.

gatorXXX

August 29, 2008 at 4:35pm

Just think! Al Gore will try to tie this to global warming!!

"As our people of the united states and abroad use the internet at astounding rates and consuming bandwidth, You are RAISING the temp levels of the earth!. As you sit at your computers for hours on end playing BF2142 or what have you, downloading porn, or watching movies via netflix, your computers consume enough energy to power Zimbabwe!".

"But most importantly, precious people of the world, the temps heat up in your computer to astronomical levels leaking out the vents causing your ambient room temp to rise, then when opening your door, you let it escape into the atmosphere causing the ambient outside air to rise which heats up our continents and our oceans and cause the Antarctic ice shelf to melt!"

"I will have my team of scientists look into this matter to gauge the actual rise in temp and then I will post it on my website via a quicktime movie for all to download and email to friends and family. You can also check all statistics of my global warming figures on my website that has many banner ads and streaming interviews of others like me about our warming situation."

"This will conclude my chatter about GW, as I need to go turn on all the lights in my house (scared of the dark) because, I, actually do own a house that consumes more energy than most small cities in America! Why? Because I can afford it! I'm rich! WOOHOO! And kudos for comcrap limiting this bandwith as I will have to cut back webcaming with my mistress and spend more time with the family!"

Al Gore - sometime in the future

comcrap sucks noodles for doing this and if I could change providers I would but I have no real choices. I will be downgrading my plan to basic as thier 8meg with speedboost is crap and not much faster than their 4 or 6 meg options anyways. Voice your concern, hit them in the pocket book, and switch to a different provider when available.

It's not the 250GB limit that gets me. It's the principle of it all. I pay for MY service so why should I be capped? I personally think that if they are going to limit bandwidth, then maybe they should have limits to what you actually pay for. Like, upto 100GB a month for $15, 200GB for $25, or 300GB for $35, and hell, unlimited for $60! I pay that now for my 8 meg service! Well, you get the picture.

arfisalf

August 29, 2008 at 3:17pm

STFU PLEASE!

 It is utter nonsense both sides are providing regarding the reasons why comcast's decisions is good or bad.

If you dont like it stop the service. It doesnt matter if you have any other service providers available. When I was sick of the wireless phone services by AT&T getting worse, I just reduced the plan and as soon as my contract is up, service will be closed.

I understand life now is dependent on technology, but take a stand with your wallet. Enough said! Their lower revenue will promopt them to do the "right" thing. Right being a perspective of each person making comments on the matter.

 :/

comptech08

August 29, 2008 at 2:32pm

the watering lawn ban has nothing to do with this.  There was a water shortage.  There is no bandwidth shortage. And there is never going to be a bandwidth shortage because basically it is a virtual and you can't run out of virtual stuff.  Throttling and setting caps is a very bad idea because now the companies are starting to become all about themselves and saying screw the customer.  They are screwing us not only by caps and what not but by giving us smaller packages with more exspensive prices.  Basically if you use a computer other then just email, you dont know how much your going to download each month.  It is completely random.  I say shame on the companies that throttle and set caps.  It does not cost them more money for someone to have more bandwidth, just another plot to make more money. GREED. 

Scapegoat

September 03, 2008 at 1:19pm

I hate to debate against some of my fellow nerds, but honestly I feel that this is a way to make people more aware of what they use, just like water. This will cause outrage just as if, during a water shortage, the city were to ban watering lawns. All those with nice houses and lawns will throw a fit because they can't have they're sprinklers on.

But let's think things through. One user mentioned that Netflix streaming takes about 1GB/hour, which actually would allow you to watch at an average of 2hr. per movie, 125 movies in a month, or 4 movies a day in a 31 day month. Of course, people will browse, watch real tv, actual DVDs they may have, go out to play putt putt, or go to work, so maybe 25 movies a month would stream over Netflix, consuming 50GBs, or 1/5th of your Comcast bandwidth.

So let's say you decide to purchase 4 new albums in July from Amazon (at 256kb/s). That may take you just past the 1GB line.

Let's also say you have 3 gamers in the house, gaming maybe 4 hours a day (leaving the rest of the day for movies, a job, a life, etc.). That's 12 hours of gaming a day, and following this rule from <url=http://www.maximumpc.com/article/comcast_closes_in_on_bandwidth_limits_and_overage_charges>a post from</url> Dave Murphy, "Playing 24 hours a day for each day in the month, by yourself, would only cost you 62 GB of bandwidth." So cut that in half for 12 hours of gaming in a day, that would be 31GB of bandwidth.

As for VOIP, according to two posts on the <url=http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies-archive.cfm/777085.html>Whirlpool forums</url>, "as a rough guide your looking at 14Mb per hour during active calls." If you hold 4 hours of conversation a day, you're looking at using 1.736GB per month.

As for Hulu and web surfing, it might amount to 300-500MB per day. that equals out to (rounded up) 15GB per month of bandwidth.

The above usage of 250GB per month is peanuts. I bet the average home with broadband uses much less than this, which is about 100GB of bandwidth. Here's some positives I see to come from this:

By the way, this is a great example of price discrimination.

The Good:

1. Over some time, the U.S. internet speeds will free up and speed up a bit, by limiting overzealous downloaders.

2. Kids will be kicked out of the house more often to play with neighbors again.

3. The free up of speeds should allow broadband providers to handle to exponential growth of internet users, giving them time to install a newer broadband internet, seeing as we have one of the oldest internet networks in th world.

4. Metering, if it comes to charging households by the GB, will allow people who couldn't afford the internet in the first place to have it. Think $10, full speed broadband, per month, or even less for struggling families.

5. If everything goes right, those who consume less will pay less and those who consume more will get a faster internet for the same price.

6. The above points would lead to more price and speed competition between broadband providers, as well as filling this nation with broadband, which has been a challenge to many urban areas.

7. Metering will be necessary, in leau with upgrading our network, to be able to come close to speeds of the 26Mb/s some in Tokyo enjoy, for about $40 a month.

zeringue

August 29, 2008 at 2:00pm

With a definitive number in hand we now know how much is excessive bandwidth.  I guess people who have eight machines downloading the same material over and over will have to setup repositories like WSUS for windows updates, or point the McAfee's to a single desktop for updates recycling the bits. what a world we are living.  every part of our lives are moving towards digital this and that, just like the lists provided in other comments, but as we digitize the cable companies arent able to keep up with the demand, and penalize us for it. perhaps they would have more bandwidth if they get out of the tv and phone business.

 I bet that part of this limit is to keep neighbors from sharing connections. I have thought about selling my bandwidth to neighbors, pool the money together and then share the service.

 ComCast must be the single worst company for service and customer service.

Pyrophorics

August 29, 2008 at 2:39pm

Actually, this is kind of brilliant. Sure, Comcast sucks and I hope they fall apart and die but it is genius.

People who download more than 250gb a month are probably doing things they shouldnt be. So, if that is the case they probably already know how to get onto someone elses wireless network. That being the case, they have no fear of overages because they can just hop somewhere else.

So, what is this really for...?

My guess is they have an alternative motive. 250GB + downloadable HD Movies / Steaming HD TV = comcasts one largest competition.

Imagine, providing $60 internet service while losing all your cable TV customer because they are using your service to get cheaper service. They cant have that so they have to limit their bandwidth to keep that from happening. I dont fear they will lower the cap but more so that they wont raise it as technology continues to move forward.

However, the internet is the backbone of our economy. If it isnt affordable then I bet the government would step in ... after it has already gotten so out of hand that there is nothing left to do... kinda like gas prices. :)

 

Edit: Yeah, this isn't like watering your lawn. I dont really care right this second as it doesnt effect me, I am just worried about the future. Increased bandwidth is a great thing but that will just make it easier to hit the cap.

In either case, I believe the government will REQUIRE then to provide a usage meter that users can trace online. Just like you can go outside and physically see your electric meter, you need to be able to see your comcast meter.

Devo85x

August 29, 2008 at 1:43pm

As someone who works on computers contstently, this makes what I love to do very hard.  I am almost always downloading something from the internet, being it a new version of Linux, new programs, games, etc... it makes it very hard... here is my example for why this isnt enough.  Say you have multiple computers in your house and Xbox Live... you build a new computer... not only do you have to download all the new updates, but you probibly (unless you keep all the installers (i do) have to download all your programs... then you have all the patches for any pc games you have and maby even redownload your music if you dont have it backed up... overall this and gaming/using the internet, make this cap actually kind of low for people that work on computers alot... we pay them, we buy our cable modems and routers/wireless routers/switches and they want to make it harder on us? Time to call up comcast and say "F*** YOU!"

scott_c

August 29, 2008 at 12:23pm

 

When watching a streamed netflix movie it's a good 1 GB/hr when you have an optimal network connection. Our internet connections are being depended on for so much more each year. Strange thing is, when I call Comcast due to a network outage, they have a recorded message that says call volumes are high, please go to www.comcast.com and click on support or something to that effect. This is after entering in all the proper touch tone responses to note I have no internet access. Then at the end of the call, after they say they're working on a general outage... "Would you like to get our VOIP service, as it's available in your area?". I ask if I'd have no phone service at this time, they say yes, and I tell them how they have poor timing on that question.

We rely on the Internet for:

1) Email (uncontrolled SPAM included)

2) Internet browsing

3) VOIP Phone service

4) Getting software patches

5) Television and Movie entertainment - streamed or downloaded - set top devices and PC's

6) Music entertainment - streamed or downloaded

7) Backups

8) Viewing webcams - border patrol, daycare, vacation spots, security of remote sites (family business, vacation homes, etc)

9) AV updates

10) Online gaming from set top game systems

11) VPN connections for remote work - might be on-call support, or work from home 1 or more days a week. VPN for work may involve additional VOIP phone, large file transfers, work software updates, more email.

12) Now multiply much of the above for the number of people in my home who all have computers.

Comcast had mentioned installing our own web metering software but I can't do this on my Vonage adapter or a Roku box used for Netflix. It also doesn't monitor the amount of network attacks coming from infected PC's or malicious intent sources.

250 GB per month, or ~ 8GB/day on 31 day months... or ~336 MB per hour non stop for 31 days.

So would it be possible that someone could target another user to get them a warning and then service cancelled for a year?

We go to web sites like the following and we don't even know what size the file is before clicking to download:

http://fedoraproject.org/get-fedora.html

At least with a cell phone I can easily find out how many minutes I've used at a given point during that invoice period.

I feel sorry for people who set up wireless AP's using just the defaults and have neighbors using their bandwidth.  Without getting alerts or being able to see usage continually, they may have trouble ahead.

Some say let the competition decide it. Well, where I'm located my only option would be for satellite internet ... and it's not really a competitive option. Dialup isn't even an option as there's no pairs available in my neighborhood. DSL - too far from the central office. No other cable providers. 

All this said, I'm glad Comcast didn't choose 5 GB/month.

Please excuse me while I disconnect my router.

 

pellier

August 29, 2008 at 11:50am

wghat happens when netflix lets you stream hd movies.

mlee19

August 29, 2008 at 11:25am

As a customer of ComCRAP, this is bullshit they put a cap on bandwith.I am a user of Joost and it uses lots of bandwidth. Not to mention having 8 computers sharing the same connection. I guess now I have to limit how often I use it...damn you comcast!

sirphunkee

August 29, 2008 at 11:24am

This is nothing more than comcast publicly stating firm numbers for the same bandwith caps they've been clandestinely enforcing all along...and they're only doing that now out of a desire to avoid any further regulatory backlash from the p2p-blocking flap.  Just a timely legal move to (hopefully) cover their backsides as these types of incumbent practices are starting to come under greater scrutiny.

What will happen now is that a whole lotta people are about to become a whole lot more conscious of what their monthly IP volume is, budgeting it like they do for the water or electric bill.  Digital HD streaming will become the Hummer of the internet...sure it's cool, but who can afford that kind of waste?

Cache

August 29, 2008 at 10:56am

We have three computers running at our house, for my wife, myself, and our daughter.  Plus an open spot when we have guests from out of town (which is rather frequent).  I know in a single day it's not incommon to download a minimum of 4-5 gigs which puts us comfortably under the 250 gig limit.  That's not the point, however.

What bothers me most is how this is to be applied. If applications open up online that warrant the need for more bandwith (say, for downloading high-def content), then what?  Is the 250-gig limit only applied to what I want, but something like Netflix or Blockbuster is exempted?  Is that limit adjustable?  If I end up woefully under the limt, is my time compensated to the next month?

Frankly, I would be very interested in what fines are permissable for Comcast.

DBsantos77

August 29, 2008 at 10:47am

About friggin time they made a limit, Now to tackle the throttling issue -_-'.Don't get me wrong I'm with Comcast, Speeds are really good, But what's the use if you can't use it to the fullest? 

sdcat

August 29, 2008 at 10:43am

125 movies? for a Family of 2or 3+ streaming movies I could almost assure you that 125 movies cap isn't enough at all. Especailly if we look into next year and beyond when netflex on xbox360 and all the other set top player implmenting internet a/v streaming. This haven't include all the other rest of internet usage. Personally I would prefer more bandwidth but less speed and that looks useless speed booster feature.

Techrocket9

August 29, 2008 at 10:41am

The beginning of the end is upon us!

scuz

August 29, 2008 at 10:39am

Awesome, now folks get to look for work-arounds for bandwidth monitoring as well as copyright protection!  At speeds 30x slower than Japan!  What a day to be alive!