Surprise! Internet Users Dislike Broadband Cap

Surprise! Internet Users Dislike Broadband Cap​

Written by Kevin Parrish - 2:20 AM - October 2, 2008


It’s no secret that internet service providers are considering Broadband caps to cut down costs. However many U.S. consumers dislike the idea and will gladly change carriers if their current BSP implements the restrictions.

ZoomIn Zeugma Systems’ recent survey conducted for the International Data Corporation (source), 81 percent of the 787 U.S. customers polled proclaimed their dislike for a Bandwidth cap and the additional charges for internet use beyond the limit. However, 83 percent had no idea what a gigabyte was or just how much bandwidth they actually consume. 51 percent of those polled added that they would actually switch service providers if broadband caps were set in place. Some even claimed to actually pay for additional premium services if necessary.

"These results are both an opportunity and a warning for BSPs," said Kevin Walsh, Zeugma Systems vice president of marketing. "The opportunity is that consumers are signaling a willingness to pay more for dedicated bandwidth over and above basic high speed internet for such services as premium internet video, VOIP, gaming, and corporate VPN access. The warning is a clear distaste for bandwidth caps. At a minimum, providers moving forward with bandwidth capping schemes may want to consider a more intelligent and flexible application of caps.”

Starting today, Comcast residential customers are now limited to 250 GB per month. The company claims that the new limit is more than enough for its customers, and will more than likely never surpass the limit. But considering the consumers who purchases games and movies online, this restriction may feel more like a punishment than means to save money on behalf of the BSP. Online Gamers may face the largest setback, especially those playing on Microsoft’s Xbox Live service or MMORPGs like World of Warcraft and EverQuest II.



Read more at the Source:
Surprise! Internet Users Dislike Broadband Cap - Tom's Hardware

 

[Pompeius]

My ISP Bresnan Communications is as yet uncapped.

 

[ripbox]

In all honesty if ISP's put their profits new hardware and didn't just put their profits straight into their pockets there would be not need for throttleing and capping... all you gotta do is look at the like of japan and sweeden to see that.
Speeking with some of my online buddys who live in sweeden they all pretty much have optical BB as standard with distribution servers as standard in there basements.... some even get ther BB in with there rental agreement and it isnt no selly 2 meg its more like 100meg+
annoying since the UK used to be the best when it came to fast internet connection... ok it was only 56k but back then that was fast..... download a movie in appox 1 year lol


imo if we cud educate everyone about the ins and outs of BB packages then they would stop buying cheaply priced capped internet..... the main thing people don't understand and are mislead with are that when they hear capped they thing thats ok cos i dont download movies ect i only brows and email.... they dont realise that every time they visit a web page they are downloading the page contend and thus consuming their monthly usage allowance and if they realised that then they would think twice about the BB package....

 

[chev65]

Sorry Djlevel9 I gave up trying to read your post it was impossible, just one big blur.

Also, add poor spelling...

Anyways, back to the topic.
I feel that people pay for what service the ISP should deliver on, based on their needs.
Why should they put a cap on bandwidth limits anyways?
Then they post some sort of marketing scheme, would you be willing to pay extra to receive unlimited bandwidth on your current connection?
Are you kidding me?
Didn't they just increase their prices up by $5+/mth recently?
People need to get their head checked, seriously.

And this is exactly what will happen now. Capped service will cost less which just gives them another reason to raise prices for the uncapped service. I feel another scam in the making and I'am not happy about it.

 

[ripbox]

After what feels like months of being drip fed minor details about the Virgin Media 50 meg product, we finally have the official details.
It is to be known as the XXL package and will have a monthly fee of £51 (including VAT). As expected there will be a 12 month contract for those migrating onto the product from an existing Virgin Media broadband package, or signing up for the first time. Subscribers to the XXL package will receive a N wireless router with their new cable modem to ensure the wireless network in the home is not the bottleneck. Upload speeds will initially be 1.5Mbpss with options to increase this in the future.
see more here thinkbroadband :: Virgin Media launches 50 meg broadband service

About time we started to see faster BB appearing around the UK but there are some major BUT'S involved
see this is not good enough because here in the UK they are not prepared to dig threw hills or install into the smaller communities ect just to lay the needed cables and hardware and at £51 per month that's currently $77.2729 USD its just not applicable for the lower paid population, thus this leaves the 40% that can not receive this ultra cool cable internet with only the option of ADSL which is only speed of UPTO 8Meg and on average is ony about 3.5 meg download speed and you would be werry lucky to hit andywhere close to the full 8meg.... im on of the lucky ones that gets between 6 and 7 meg but others are not so lucky

It realy does make me feel inadiqute when i think of those that have 100meg up and down as a basic package are sat there laughing away.... its almost like a realy hot girl catching you with ur pants down in the freezing cold if you know what i mean and im sure im not the only one that feels that way

 

[SCSIraidGURU]

I would not mind pay to play rules. Many users I know complaining are doing illegal downloading. 250GB per month for base price and each additional $1 per additional 2GB. However, I want statistics on usage available to show me by site how much I have downloaded. They can use this information to stop illegal download action.

 

[mattinahat]

I would not mind pay to play rules. Many users I know complaining are doing illegal downloading. 250GB per month for base price and each additional $1 per additional 2GB. However, I want statistics on usage available to show me by site how much I have downloaded. They can use this information to stop illegal download action.

HOLY CRAP $1 for 2GB over. Here in Australia it is $250 per GB over (if your on an uncapped service)

The rest of the world has it made, when it comes to the internet, whereas Australia has been ignored by the politicians so we are left paying them 200k a year (through taxes) to do nothing what-so-ever.

 

[ripbox]

whereas Australia has been ignored by the politicians so we are left paying them 200k a year (through taxes) to do nothing what-so-ever.

what the politicians say and the ISP's do are 2 different things though..... the isp fat cats would rather pay thousand of $/£ in fines than pay hundreds of thousands $/£ to upgrade their hardware and and communication line

the problem here in the uk is if you can not get firber optic/cable then u have to rely on ADSL and to get ADSL you have to go with the only telephone service in the UK which is BT... ok yes there are several different telephone providers but the have to sublet from BT..... BT=Brittish Telecoms and BT charge the earth for there sevices because they can and if a new company started their own telephone network the bt would offer to buy them out and if they refused then BT would put them out of business
one example of how sly BT are is if you have phone line into your house and you want an active phone line they will charge you in excess of £140 and all they do is push a button or two

onother example is that we just moved into a new accommodation and the previous people had cut the phone line now to have the line re wired we had to cancel out contract with another telephone company that sublet from BT and re make a new contract direct with BT just so a BT engineer could come and re wire the cables and at that they didn't come and do it when they said and we had to chase them up for them to come and do it several time and they still had the nerve to charge us full connection fees of £140+

Its a 1 man band and if any new competition arrives then they don't last long before they are bought or put out of business

with a system like that its no wonder everyone is so irate

 

[mattinahat]

What the politicians say and the ISP's do are 2 different things though.....

The politicians are the ones that are supposed to govern the country and governing the country does involved keeping businesses in check. Australian politicians are very good at putting their hands out but cry tears of blood when they get caught.

one example of how sly BT are is if you have phone line into your house and you want an active phone line they will charge you in excess of £140 and all they do is push a button or two

In Oz we have a $250 connection fee. Telephone companies can disconnect you without your knowledge for any reason, at any time and you still have to pay the reconnection fee REGARDLESS of what the outcome is.

 

[Nunyabiz]

Wow, that is insane.
I think we pay more than enough for Road runner so that we shouldn't have to be capped in anyway, that is ridiculous.

I pay $50 a month and get a solid 10Mbps download and 512 upload with PowerBoost that ups it to 16Mbps.
Far as I know we have no caps nor have ever heard that they were even thinking about it.
I have no idea what my wife & I download GB wise but since we are both online almost constantly I would imagine it is A LOT.

 

[Lebon14]

I have a 100GB one since I'm on the cable LOL.
And, I've never ever go through that limit. And, 250GB? Gimme that and I will go crazy.

 

[grimreaper]

It's amazing how people get a certain amount of limit depending on where they are located in the world...btw,to have a 250GB limit is insane...wow how nice.
I have an 85-90 GB limit/month on a T1 connection, DL speeds are very good, upload kinda sux, but I'm happy.

 

[MSPRISSYSMUM]

Is it true that I can get 3G w/AT&T with ethernet card? Without a phone and/or cable line? Or is it just for the I-Phone?

 

[ITJUNKIE]

Is it true that I can get 3G w/AT&T with ethernet card? Without a phone and/or cable line? Or is it just for the I-Phone?

I don't have AT&T myself so someone that does may be better able to answer this question.

But I believe as long as you have a 3G laptop connect card and data plan you should be good to go. meaning you don't need an Iphone

have a look here for some options

PC Cards - | Wireless from AT&T, formerly Cingular

HTH