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

 

[koch]

I mean seriousely, where is it written anyone has the right to no caps ?

Yeah, seriously, because we've all been demanding that it's our right to have no caps. Hell, we should be grateful that the ISPs are gracious enough to even offer us internet service! I mean really, the gall of anyone being upset when a company reduces and puts limits on services. This is America for god's sake!

Talk about a nonstarter

 

[wwoods]

I mean seriousely, where is it written anyone has the right to no caps ?

Yeah, seriously, because we've all been demanding that it's our right to have no caps. Hell, we should be grateful that the ISPs are gracious enough to even offer us internet service! I mean really, the gall of anyone being upset when a company reduces and puts limits on services. This is America for god's sake!

Talk about a nonstarter

Call it what ya will, but as much as some would dissaggree, access to the net is not a right, no caps is not a right. I have no cap because I pay for buisness class, not because its some god given right.

 

[koch]

I mean seriousely, where is it written anyone has the right to no caps ?

Yeah, seriously, because we've all been demanding that it's our right to have no caps. Hell, we should be grateful that the ISPs are gracious enough to even offer us internet service! I mean really, the gall of anyone being upset when a company reduces and puts limits on services. This is America for god's sake!

Talk about a nonstarter

Call it what ya will, but as much as some would dissaggree, access to the net is not a right, no caps is not a right. I have no cap because I pay for buisness class, not because its some god given right.

And exactly when did anyone on this thread claim that internet access was a right, let alone a "god given right"?

Again, talk about a nonstarter... ufda!

 

[Brink]

Ok guys, let's not let this get uncivil.

Shawn

 

[mansrm81]

I really don't care about the cap.

 

[misterwilkie]

I care about the cap. but i think some of you guys are right seeing that internet access may not be a god given right. what about netzero? free right? still sucky, i mean who wants dial up anyways. I used to love my comcast before they started givng us a bunch of crap about using too much bandwidth.


anyways in conclusion i guess they do have a right to cap it because they are the ones providing pretty much everything.

Ive been thinking of a reason to change carriers but even with this cap would dsl be a better deal? they cap theirs too dont they?

 

[greeneggsandham]

My isp aint 2 bad for a uk provider there quite nice. They only manage your traffic if you download large files during peak hours and only then after 3 email warnings.The peak hours are 6PM-11PM daily. They sent me an email once for downloading in peak hours requesting me to download large files outside there peak hours. They also gave me a link to a page off there site about how to get the best speeds out of p2p applications. They actually have a page of info on p2p apps on there very own site which i find kinda funny. There basically promoting p2p use with friendly and helpfull advice. Basically there telling there users you can download as much as you want as long as it's outside there stated peak hours. Fair enough really.

 

[Titancom]

As some one mentioned earlier in aus we have had it for years now and i guess you get used to it not that i liked it when it first come in i do mainly online gamimg and would never used all my limit so no biggy.

 

[adeang]

In the contract I am in with AOL I am uncapped, there are not many left in the uk. If they change and make it a capped service are they breaking there contract?:eek:

Well only if they change it wilst still during the period of the contract, but say they wait untill your 1 or 2 year or whatever contract is over with they can do what they please.

 

[rive0108]

Cox with no cap. $43.95 month
10 mbps download/2 mbps upload w/ power boost (extra bandwith for large downloads).

 

[roy69]

In the contract I am in with AOL I am uncapped, there are not many left in the uk. If they change and make it a capped service are they breaking there contract?:eek:

Well only if they change it wilst still during the period of the contract, but say they wait untill your 1 or 2 year or whatever contract is over with they can do what they please.

My service was upgraded last month. Twice the speed (only 4mb) and half the cost.
This is still uncapped so at least the contract is for another year. AOL are not as bad as alot of people make out. I think the reason why alot of companies put a cap on services is so the pipes dont get bottlenecked. They are thinking of everyones right to get access.

 

[JayClericus]

Current ISP have been with for a few years, rarely run speed tests on the upto 8 MB ADSL service I have got, it is unlimited, so if I want to download 80 GB and upload 180 GB like last month, no big deal

Namesco BroadbandMax Bandwidth speedtest | Test your ADSL connection speed

Costs me £38 per month, as I use the connection for the work laptop on VPN as well, they pay 50% of the cost, cheaper than a new phone line and BT business broadband

No peak hours, but I do download bigger files when asleep as not want my speed nerfed

 

[DjLevel9]

We Already Have it Here In Canada We have Interleave Correction Software From Bell Canada Bell And Rogers Our To Top Internet Componyes have tryed this and It's Called Throttaling And The Net team thats in the usa know about this to I sugges all you in the usa get together and put a stop to it right away The CRTC here in Canada rull for Bell But were gonna re-appeail it They cap off out supposto be unlimited buisness internet the 3rd party internet Including TechSavvy is quite pissed off about this the 3rd Internet componies that use Bell phone lines all through Canada are already effected by this we Have a 16meg 16.319 down Load and 1.5 up Load Buisness Optimax we where shareing the same system as Verizon In The States Bell employees Only a hand full where trained on this software and Only a few Selected cities where choose to run this software to give them faster internet speeds it was Residentails who got it first then Buisness customers me as a beta tester I got mine free and even Now I'm effected by this but like I said check on the Net Nurtaly on this FAst the Chicago Based Internet compony has the fastest internet so fare Cable can't even cut comcast the bad reports come in of it cutting out all the time Look on www.speedtest.net check the Chicago click on it you get the propper speed yea should be getting I already called then and asked then to Join the Internet compnies here in Canada and build a Link to the The fastest Network on the Net and to get the back Bones they need when line's get over compasitated people use P2P Bit Tollerant what the dast down load but I used Guilty But didn't realize they wan't us to leave our connections on with them to ours can seed from us and use and puggy back our connections those with slower dsl and cable connections it slows down the when you're downloading 20 to 30 movie files and put it on HIGH you are sucking up all the band width speed mmore then what the lines for the software dsl cable package you're paying for can handle so if yea s wan't to use the faster down loads people pay for the faster down loads like every one else this way yea can free up some of the back bones in some ways I see there point but in some ways for us buisness customers paying over $300 a month for our Internet connection we shouldn't be capped off if where paying that amount of money Gurenteed where suppsto be unlimoted accsess NO RESTRICTIONS thats in out contracts wwwwe sign but they fail to Honor thats Breach of Contrat when they renage and not tell the customer then they commited an Criminal offence what Loop Hole are they gonna pull to get them oputta it not.

 

[Joan Archer]

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

So far I've not had any notice that my service is going to be capped, I'm not even sure what speed set I'm supposed to be in but I know when I signed up there was the choice of three sets, the first was limited and slower speed the middle was unlimited and the next speed up and the third I think was probably the business class and top speed.
I went with the middle at £22.98 a month which a few months later was upgraded to the top speed for the same price.

I've never had any problems really just occasionally the email servers will be down and usually if the connection is down and a reboot of the router doesn't fix it it's only a free call from me to the shop to find out what's wrong, that way they do all the technical calls which to me would be expensive, I think it's about a £1 a minute.

 

[grimreaper]

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.

 

[muskegman1]

Some people are luckier than others i suppose when it comes to the amount of bandwidth available to them. I am stuck with a 3 year contract limited to 1Gig download /month for $80/month using a Sierra Wireless Aircard and anything over 1Gig we get charged $10/Gig over and above the set 1Gig. We are being robbed up here for our internet use and now the Canadian CRTC has just agreed to let the service providers throttle back our bandwidth

 

[ITJUNKIE]

I have had Comcast since 01 and have been a very happy customer. When I first heard that they would be implementing caps I become concerned. But as of now they have not implemented the cap in my area.

I say this because I have not seen my monthly bandwidth usage listed anywhere on my monthly statements and as I understand it when the caps go into effect the monthly usage is going to be included in the statements. I also feel that ISP's should give customers a tool to monitor there usage if they are going to have caps. and Comcast does not offer such a tool yet.

To those that say if you want more bandwidth upgrade your accounts I would gladly do so if I could be assured that I would in fact not be caped. I remember when I first purchased my service it was sold on the premise that 1. it was going to be fast 2. that bandwidth was going to be unlimited. I am just worried that when/if I upgrade my account the usage terms well change yet again.

 

[mattinahat]

WOW! I seriously did not know that TRULY unlimited plans still existed anywhere in the world.

I'm stuck in Australia paying $60\month for 12GB (seems kinda crap when people in the US are complaining about a 250GB limit and still only paying $40\month!)

@ITJUNKIE

It is almost guaranteed that the T and C will differ if you change your plan SO DONT DO IT. Stick with unlimited downloads as opposed to being shaped (64/64 that's in kbps. I do get shaped at 80/256 but that is an uncommon thing in OZ)

Thats just my 2 cents!

 

[ITJUNKIE]

WOW! I seriously did not know that TRULY unlimited plans still existed anywhere in the world.

I'm stuck in Australia paying $60\month for 12GB (seems kinda crap when people in the US are complaining about a 250GB limit and still only paying $40\month!)

@ITJUNKIE

It is almost guaranteed that the T and C will differ if you change your plan SO DONT DO IT. Stick with unlimited downloads as opposed to being shaped (64/64 that's in kbps. I do get shaped at 80/256 but that is an uncommon thing in OZ)

Thats just my 2 cents!

mattinahat,

I plan to stay on my current plan as long as possible :D

 

[chinga69]

WOW! I seriously did not know that TRULY unlimited plans still existed anywhere in the world.

I'm stuck in Australia paying $60\month for 12GB (seems kinda crap when people in the US are complaining about a 250GB limit and still only paying $40\month!)

mattinahat,

It is almost guaranteed that the T and C will differ if you change your plan SO DONT DO IT. Stick with unlimited downloads as opposed to being shaped (64/64 that's in kbps. I do get shaped at 80/256 but that is an uncommon thing in OZ)

Thats just my 2 cents!

mattinahat,

hi have you looked at getting exetel they have more download then your current isp

cheers brad