Comcast Cuts Off Heavy Internet Users

AdamBomb8 · Post by **AdamBomb8** » September 7, 2007 5:12 pm

Comcast has warned broadband Internet customers across the country to curb their downloading or wind up on the curb.

The company has a bandwidth limitation that, if broken, can result in a 12-month suspension of service. The problem, according to customer complaints, is that the telecom giant refuses to reveal how much downloading is too much.

The company, which a few years ago advertised the service as “unlimited” has an “acceptable use policy” which enforces the invisible download limit.

The 23-part policy, states that it is a breach of contract to generate “levels of traffic sufficient to impede others' ability to send or retrieve information.” But nowhere does it detail what levels of traffic will impede others.

http://consumeraffairs.com/news04/2007/ ... html?imw=Y

docandjeanie · Post by **docandjeanie** » September 7, 2007 5:27 pm

another reason to hate Comcast, as far as I'm concerned. I am with them until October and then I'm out.

Dezdmona · Post by **Dezdmona** » September 7, 2007 5:35 pm

Yea, sure.

You think they would really suspend anyone?
They will just impose a surcharge for excessive bandwith usage.

I think this kinda goes along with what ATT is doing with their DSL service by charging different rates for different download/upload speeds.
The faster/higher capacity you want the more you pay.

Skibo · Post by **Skibo** » September 7, 2007 5:51 pm

Comcast doesn't publish a limit because they don't know what the limit should be. I think that when they receive complaints of slow service, they will hunt down the bandwidth hogs and tell them they are exceeding their limit. They are also afraid to disclose their limit because it will give the DSL providers a competitive advantage against them. I'm not much of a fan of comcast either but I dislike Verizon even more. I will never use a service that runs through a verizon central office again, so I'm stuck with comcast.

Mr Play · Post by **Mr Play** » September 7, 2007 5:59 pm

Skibo nailed it IMO. They don't care about volume until it starts impacting other customers on the network.

SharkOnLand · Post by **SharkOnLand** » September 7, 2007 6:06 pm

Dezdmona wrote:Yea, sure.

You think they would really suspend anyone?
They will just impose a surcharge for excessive bandwith usage.

I think this kinda goes along with what ATT is doing with their DSL service by charging different rates for different download/upload speeds.
The faster/higher capacity you want the more you pay.

Cable's capacity doesn't change. EVERYBODY on the same hub shares a 'pipe', so to speak. When one guy bogarts the pipe, everyone else on the same hub suffers.

You don't (as far as I know) get different options for speeds with cable internet.... so it's not paying for faster/higher capacity, it's one guy hogging the internet and not sharing.

I concur that Comcast suks.

Dezdmona · Post by **Dezdmona** » September 7, 2007 6:15 pm

I dropped Comcast/cable internet several years ago because too many people were using in my neighborhood all the time which caused download times to slow down.

I use fiber optic internet now, but as I posted yesterday the big companies are trying to determine who gets priority over how we surf the web based on the size of the website we are trying to access. Grrrr.

Oh..SharkOnLand, my example wasn't for Cable internet, it is for current DSL pricing at ATT.

SharkOnLand · Post by **SharkOnLand** » September 7, 2007 6:24 pm

Dezdmona wrote:I dropped Comcast/cable internet several years ago because too many people were using in my neighborhood all the time which caused download times to slow down.

I use fiber optic internet now, but as I posted yesterday the big companies are trying to determine who gets priority over how we surf the web based on the size of the website we are trying to access. Grrrr.

Oh..SharkOnLand, my example wasn't for Cable internet, it is for current DSL pricing at ATT.

Yeah, I thought you were comparing the two.

I don't listen good, ask my wife

Mr Play · Post by **Mr Play** » September 7, 2007 6:24 pm

I know Time Warner offers different download speeds for cable internet. You can go to speedchecker.net to see how your speed compares to others in your area and with your ISP.

buffettbride · Post by **buffettbride** » September 7, 2007 7:40 pm

SharkOnLand wrote:
Dezdmona wrote:Yea, sure.

You think they would really suspend anyone?
They will just impose a surcharge for excessive bandwith usage.

I think this kinda goes along with what ATT is doing with their DSL service by charging different rates for different download/upload speeds.
The faster/higher capacity you want the more you pay.
Cable's capacity doesn't change. EVERYBODY on the same hub shares a 'pipe', so to speak. When one guy bogarts the pipe, everyone else on the same hub suffers.

You don't (as far as I know) get different options for speeds with cable internet.... so it's not paying for faster/higher capacity, it's one guy hogging the internet and not sharing.

I concur that Comcast suks.

Cable sucks. DSL rocks.

12vmanRick · Post by **12vmanRick** » September 7, 2007 7:51 pm

I hate Bellsouth but had NO choice where we are now!

I also hated Charter but at least they didn't have a "limit"

I am a heavy user as I am on most of the day on VPN to work

Post by **SMLCHNG** » September 7, 2007 9:01 pm

buffettbride wrote:
Cable sucks. DSL rocks.

Uh huh.

Mr Play · Post by **Mr Play** » September 7, 2007 9:15 pm

It's speedtest.net not speedchecker.net. I couldn't access the site to verify from where I was earlier.

I'm as slow as it gets for TWC at 1.5mb, they also have 7mb and 10mb here.

Whatcha got?.

Mr Play · Post by **Mr Play** » September 7, 2007 9:16 pm

12vmanRick wrote:I am a heavy user

Ya think so?

gingerbreadman · Post by **gingerbreadman** » September 7, 2007 9:35 pm

I need to use more!

Dezdmona · Post by **Dezdmona** » September 7, 2007 9:41 pm

Interesting...the download test "felt" slower than what I usually experience, but I'm on the laptop, which is wireless and my husband is on the desktop which is the primary computer and he's probably being a download hog.

RinglingRingling · Post by **RinglingRingling** » September 7, 2007 9:43 pm

gingerbreadman · Post by **gingerbreadman** » September 7, 2007 9:44 pm

Yeah Dez, but upload 2600? We need to start hosting some shows at your house!

alphabits · Post by **alphabits** » September 7, 2007 9:46 pm

Fastest:

Slowest:

Post by **SMLCHNG** » September 7, 2007 9:58 pm