ISPs May Institute Usage Fees To Counteract Streaming Video Surge



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Comcast will CANCEL YOUR SERVICE FOR 12 MONTHS if you go over a 250GB cap. With Netflix HD videos, online backups and Steam games, 250GB doesn't cut it anymore.

A true conflict of interest.



Not necessarily. I've violated the 250GB cap several times (2-3 months in a row, in fact), and Comcast never said a word. Much of it was upload bandwidth. To top it off, I cancelled cable TV several months ago.

Despite the "official" caps, Comcast still only goes after the top bandwidth hogs. The lines near me had limited traffic, and I never managed to slow down the whole neighborhood, so they left me alone.



It's rediclious they have caps period. It's not like they don't know who the bandwith hogs. Instead of capping everyone. It's just another way for a company to get extra money when going over the limit. Really has nothing to do with anything else. 



I will move to Europe if this happens.



Par for the course up here in Canada



Only if you use a major ISP.

We have laws that promote competition, so indie ISPs do exist. They offer better services at a fraction of the price.

Maybe there is an option in your area.





Agreed.  I switched from Rogers Cable (Ontario) to an independant ISP (Teksavvy) as soon as they arrived in Ottawa. 

Its pre-paid and their support/billing services are top notch.  Never had any problems with Rogers in regards to support/billing (left for a better deal).

Bell Canada was just a horrible nightmare.  Always got someone from another country I couldn't understand and vice-versa.

It may be cheaper for companies to off-shore support/billing, but there is a language barrier there that I can't get over.

When I call my Canadian ISP I can understand what the person on the other end is saying.  It REALLY helps to get things resolved.



This kind of already is happening in the form of data caps. It's shit like this that makes me hate ISPs, and makes moving to other countries sound like a nicer idea...



Sounds like a conflict of interest case to me



Yeah, just a ploy to put the content providers like Netflix out of business so the ISP can make the money on digital entertainment.

Ask someone in the know at a telco or cable co.  They either have plenty of bandwith to go around or have plenty of money to add bandwith .  On top of that the price of bandwith for the ISP is decreasing all the time.

The ISP's already charge a buttload of money to companies like Netflix, Google, Amazon, you name it.  The ISP's want to double dip by charging companies like Netflix, then charging you the end user a fee as well.  Basically these caps and fees are just customer rape.



If these companies are losing money through their cable services, maybe it's time for them to shut down that business and start investing on the things that are making money for you. But why do that, fuck the customers is the better option. 

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