ISPs started capping data this month

[Chew Toy McCoy]

Well, the cheap gravy train for smug cable cutters is coming to an end. Most of the major ISPs started imposing data caps this month. There's no technological reason for it. They're just doing it because they can. Xfinity's data cap is a little over 1TB per month, or roughly using a streaming service for 11 hours a day every day. May sound like a lot, but keep in mind that's a single user. If you have multiple users or regularly download large files then that can get eaten up quickly. Also at this time consider online schooling. Starting in March Xfinity will start charging $10 for every 50GB you use over the limit. Of course, they are "generous" enough to offer a more expensive monthly service without the cap.

From my personal experience, I've noticed speed throttling for downloads (had a 25GB download take over 8 hours) and blurry video streaming as we've gotten closer to the end of the month. Throughout the month I've also experienced speed and connection hiccups that I've never really experienced before after many years of using the same service.

 

[lizkat]

Maybe these guys see their profit margin hike plans coming to a new set of obstacles now that Space X has demonstrated ability to stick payloads of 50 or so internet relay satellites into orbit in one go. Capping data allowances or raising prices is a kinda kneejerk reaction while they figure out how to make hay while the sun is still shining... or else learn how to do something else that offers more value for the consumer dollar than whatever their potential competitors will have on offer.

It would help if the markets (or hey, the government) ever figured out how to incentivize longer term thinking in publicly held companies that still insist on regarding internet connectivity as something you're welcome to buy as much of as you can afford... but that's a topic for a dozen other threads.

Anyway meanwhile more of those little "stars" twinkling up there are a reminder of free enterprise on the move. Funny how companies talking about America's preference for the "free market system" whenever regulators haul them up before Congress don't really mean it when they're back home again looking at their competition.

In the news on January 21, 2021:

SpaceX launches another 60 Starlink satellites

www.msn.com

SpaceX fired off its latest batch of Starlink satellites Wednesday, boosting the total launched to date to more than one thousand as the California rocket builder continues to expand its globe-spanning network of space-based internet relay stations.

SpaceX plans to launch thousands of Starlink satellites in six orbital planes to provide uninterrupted internet connectivity for users anywhere in the world using relatively small antennas and receivers. OneWeb also is building a space-based broadband service while Amazon and other companies are developing similar systems.

Wednesday's flight marked SpaceX's 17th Starlink mission, pushing the total number of satellites launched to date to 1,015.

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

Maybe these guys see their profit margin hike plans coming to a new set of obstacles now that Space X has demonstrated ability to stick payloads of 50 or so internet relay satellites into orbit in one go. Capping data allowances or raising prices is a kinda kneejerk reaction while they figure out how to make hay while the sun is still shining... or else learn how to do something else that offers more value for the consumer dollar than whatever their potential competitors will have on offer.

It would help if the markets (or hey, the government) ever figured out how to incentivize longer term thinking in publicly held companies that still insist on regarding internet connectivity as something you're welcome to buy as much of as you can afford... but that's a topic for a dozen other threads.

Anyway meanwhile more of those little "stars" twinkling up there are a reminder of free enterprise on the move. Funny how companies talking about America's preference for the "free market system" whenever regulators haul them up before Congress don't really mean it when they're back home again looking at their competition.

In the news on January 21, 2021:

SpaceX launches another 60 Starlink satellites

www.msn.com

Affordable, reliable, and truly high speed satellite internet is long overdo. We have it at our cabin (only option) and it's shit, slow with dropouts, and not cheap with low data caps. I'll often have trying to text a single picture fail after about 15 minutes of attempting to upload. You can just forget about streaming services.

 

[SuperMatt]

I have Starry Internet. No caps, no throttling, 300mbps download AND UPLOAD and $50 a month. You can’t get it everywhere, but if you can get it, I recommend it.

 

[Joe]

I have AT&T Uverse. I don't like it, but I've just been too lazy to change it. Xfinity has better internet service in my area. I have the 1TB but I don't get anywhere near using all of that. I don't work from home so I'm not using more than I normally would before the pandemic.

 

[Alli]

I have AT&T Uverse. I don't like it, but I've just been too lazy to change it. Xfinity has better internet service in my area. I have the 1TB but I don't get anywhere near using all of that. I don't work from home so I'm not using more than I normally would before the pandemic.

We also have Uverse. I've been very happy with it, especially coming from Comcast/Xfinity. Service here sucks with Comcast.

 

[Edd]

Comcast owns my area so not much choice. If the data cap is equivalent to something like 11 hours a day of HD streaming video, that should cover our household but a family of 4 would be fucked, I’d guess.

 

[DT]

We have Comcast business class here at the World HQ. It's less congested than regular Xfinity consumer service, and no data caps (also fixed IP(s) much faster issue response time, a few other small perks).

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

I feel like this is one of those situations where lawsuits are going to come down the road, but they made so much money on the overage and upcharges up to then that whatever fine they get thrown at them will still be worth it for them.

"Comecast charged $2 billing in fines!" (When they made $4 billion in profits from the fined action)