Leaked Comcast Docs: Data Caps Have Nothing to Do With Network Congestion.
Source: Philadelphia Magazine
Comcasts new data caps for Internet usage arent meant to keep its network running smoothly. Instead, the goal is fairness and providing a more flexible policy to our customers, according to leaked Comcast instructional documents found on Reddit on Friday.
Comcast has implemented four different data usage trials in the United States and the most recent plans charge users $10 for every 50 GB of data they use over the 300 GB threshold. The program is expanding to Arkansas and Virginia December 1.
In the leaked documents, Comcast specifically tells customer-service reps not to say "the program is about congestion management." It also tells them not to use the term "data cap."
To be fair, Comcast won't charge you for the first three times you exceed 300 GB, and will send you a courtesy in-browser notice and an email letting you know when you reach 90% of your monthly data usage plan amount. You can also elect to receive notifications at as low as 50% of your monthly plan.
"This plan sets up a mechanism that those who use more, pay more and those who use less, pay less," Charlie Douglas, executive director of corporate communications at Comcast said in an interview on Saturday.
On the leaked documents, however, Douglas said: "Just like were educating customers, were also educating care agents. Everything in those documents is consistent with everything were saying both internally and externally."
Read more: http://www.phillymag.com/business/2015/11/07/comcast-leak-data-cap/
It's not the money, it's the principle (don't cha know).
EL34x4
(2,003 posts)Too many people cancelling cable and going the streaming route. Comcast wasn't going to just roll over. Consumers should've saw this coming when "cutting the cord" became the latest rage. I know I did.
FWIW, I'm using 600-800 GB a month so I really hope Comcast offers an unlimited data plan. I'll pay the extra so I don't have to meter my usage.
forest444
(5,902 posts)I believe the article mentioned that, yes, unlimited data plans will be offered for something like $30 a month.
Sounds reasonable - expect that it also sounds like a trojan horse, and that the ultimate goal is to gouge consumers (I hope I'm wrong about that).
EL34x4
(2,003 posts)Not all of them though. I'm fortunate to not currently live in one of Comcast's test regions and enjoy no data cap, but I see this coming to everyone eventually. I saw this coming the day I signed up for Netflix a few years back.
gvstn
(2,805 posts)Now that we have the net why pay for those crap channels? They have to try to keep up revenue. But a $10 connection to the the net should not be raised to $90. They lost and should get used to it. We have got used to ubsurd cable rates for the last thirty years.
Paulie
(8,462 posts)Business class for about $130/mo and no caps plus when you call support you get a person. This would be for data only.
yeoman6987
(14,449 posts)I thought that was so absurd. Of course they were going to do this. We get 300 today and 150 in 3 years. It is impossible to beat them.
quakerboy
(13,923 posts)when google fiber comes to town.
yeoman6987
(14,449 posts)But I'm not sure Google will continue free. Well see. I hope so.
newthinking
(3,982 posts)When they have a semi monopoly they can take advantage of it. Instead of innovating and working harder to build their bussiness many companies look for ways to gain "advantage" and exploit to harness more money from their customers.
EL34x4
(2,003 posts)is looking at ways to provide increasingly faster internet service capable of meeting the demands of an increasingly streaming consumer base. And at least Comcast isn't giving us crap. Their Xfinity internet service is the best out there.
But, yes, "semi-monopoly" status has plagued cable customers since the days cable was first laid. Comcast (or whoever) dug the trenches and buried the pipe. If you want your TV and internet to come into your home via coaxial cable, your choices are limited.
Kip Humphrey
(4,753 posts)forest444
(5,902 posts)It sounds like a trojan horse designed to win FEC (and customer) approval - only to later become a real budget-buster for all but the top 10% of households or so. Again, I hope I'm wrong there.
Kip Humphrey
(4,753 posts)That's great!
Is there a Comcast customer horror story blog by that name? If not, you should jump on it!
TexasProgresive
(12,164 posts)fbc
(1,668 posts)I guess they hijack a request made by your browser?
christx30
(6,241 posts)Once it's added, the browser will redirect from the page you want to go to the page they want to take you to. Once there, you see the message, and there is usually a "Click HERE to return to normal internet activities" link
forest444
(5,902 posts)christx30
(6,241 posts)at one point or another. Mine (TWC) will quarantine for abuse (copyright infringement), billing ("Pay your bill or we'll shut you off), or modem compliance (in several location, TWC increased internet speeds, and older modems can't handle the speeds).
forest444
(5,902 posts)Looks like they found a way around the recent FCC net neutrality rules. They'll never call it censorship, of course - just a quarantine.
I'll tell you though, their complacency is making them sloppy. A PR spinmeister would have never allowed them to call it a quarantine.
"Optimization," perhaps?
christx30
(6,241 posts)Doesn't really have anything to do with net neutrality. Just a way to get a customer's attention if mail and phone and other messages to the customer aren't working. People are very good at ignoring things that aren't right in their faces.
forest444
(5,902 posts)christx30
(6,241 posts)to redirect from, say, DU to another website? I suppose it's possible. I mean, programmers can make computers can do some pretty amazing things.
But for now, the quarantine is used for legitimate business practices. To get people to upgrade their modems, to get people to pay their bills, to get people to stop downloading movies and TV shows illegally. I guess, just like with anything else, as long as they use their powers for good, it'll be ok.
forest444
(5,902 posts)NobodyHere
(2,810 posts)My current ISP does the same thing to let you know if you're reaching your limit. (Though one can opt out in my case).
MADem
(135,425 posts)data, company Z just has to come on in and offer X minus a nice chunk of change to get people to switch.
Of course, then they'll all get together and price fix (and pretend they don't do that).
EL34x4
(2,003 posts)In my neighborhood, if you want fast internet, Comcast is the only player in town.
All in all, I might be the only one with few complaints about Comcast. They've treated me well over the years. Recently my bill went up $40. I went in to their local office ready for a shouting match. No questions asked, they knocked $40 back off my bill and threw in HBO for two years. I never even raised my voice. I just asked them why my bill went up and that was that.
And their internet is pretty damn good. My family and I can stream in HD on 3 devices at the same time with no lag (hence my 600-800 GB data usage).
KatyMan
(4,218 posts)Never had any issues with Comcast. Lucky I guess.
burfman
(264 posts)What happens when a public utility isn't regulated......
CatholicEdHead
(9,740 posts)They see themselves as a capitalistic corporation who can do whatever they please and charge whatever they want.
Fearless
(18,421 posts)-none
(1,884 posts)No caps that I know about. Twice as fast as what the competition calls fast.
Hosnon
(7,800 posts)Save us!
Jesus Malverde
(10,274 posts)On demand. They want a piece of it.
The industry is already looking at a "4K Christmas" this season. 60" 4K TVs have dropped below the $2000 mark. The selection of 1080p HDTVs at Best Buy is getting smaller and smaller, cheaper and cheaper as they try to push them out the door, freeing up shelf space.
The new 4K TVs are all smart with pre-loaded apps for Netflix, Youtube, Amazon Prime, Hulu, HBO Go, and whatnot. Comcast is well-aware that a 300 GB limit is about to be drastically insufficient.
krkaufman
(13,438 posts)"This plan sets up a mechanism that those who use more, pay more and those who use less, pay less," Charlie Douglas, executive director of corporate communications at Comcast said in an interview on Saturday.
Given that all customers have been sharing the load equally up to this point, if Comcast is now going to begin charging customers who use more than expected bandwidth to pay more, then customers who are using less should start with reduced bills -- to adjust for the effective subsidy they've been paying to cover the excess use of the bandwidth hogs. Otherwise, the second half of Douglas' quote above is a lie -- as those who don't go over the limits will continue to pay exactly what they've been paying, and whatever rate increases are to come, rather than paying less.