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My long-term tilting at windmills ambition is to require companies to express data caps in terms of time you’re allowed to use your connection. For example, sa

My long-term tilting at windmills ambition is to require companies to express data caps in terms of time you’re allowed to use your connection. For example, say Comcast has a 1Gb service with a 1TB data cap. You could hit that limit in about 8,000 seconds, or about 2.5 hours. In my mind, Comcast should be required to advertise that as “one gigabit for up to 2.5 hours”. I know that ISPs oversell. That’s fair and reasonable. No ISP would build out their network as though every customer were using 100% capacity 24x7. The degree of overselling we see today with ridiculously low data caps is just obscene.

thanksgiving 3y ago
> I know that ISPs oversell. That’s fair and reasonable. No ISP would build out their network as though every customer were using 100% capacity 24x7. The degree of overselling we see today with ridiculously low data caps is just obscene. My conspiracy theory is this is NOT overselling or over subscription but a coordinated attempt to shape consumer behavior away from online streaming toward their own offering that is not subject to the data cap such as cable television. How come frontier does not have data caps but Comcast Xfinity does? Why does Comcast Xfinity not have data caps specifically where they have competitors? This is not anything official, just a thought.
- kstrauser 3y ago
  I don’t think that’s much of a conspiracy. See “zero rating”: “you pay to stream from those mean leeches at Netflix, but our wonderful service doesn’t count against you!”
JumpCrisscross 3y ago
> No ISP would build out their network as though every customer were using 100% capacity 24x7 My FCC data label says unlimited.
- kstrauser 3y ago
  Mine too. Our ISPs didn’t build their infrastructure as though each customer would be maxing out their connection at all times. It does mean they have a good idea of how fat their pipes need to be to support the traffic loads they see on their graphs. Then they buy enough capacity to meet those needs, plus some safety margin. For instance, if all customers had 1Gb service and peak usage on their end is everyone streaming Netflix at 40Mbps at 8PM, it would be prohibitively expensive for them to buy the capacity to support every customer downloading at 1Gb simultaneously when 40Mb is only 4% of that.
toomuchtodo 3y ago
Metronet fiber is unlimited, no cap. https://support.metronet.com/hc/en-us/articles/360043044794-Does-Metronet-have-data-caps https://support.metronet.com/hc/en-us/articles/360043044794-... Frontier, Astound (acquired WOW), CenturyLink and Quantum Fiber, AT&T Fiber as well. https://www.cnet.com/home/internet/best-internet-providers-with-no-data-caps/ https://www.cnet.com/home/internet/best-internet-providers-w... Also, humorously, Starlink and T-Mobile Home 5G. https://www.starlink.com/legal/documents/DOC-1469-65206-75 https://www.starlink.com/legal/documents/DOC-1469-65206-75 https://tmo.report/2024/01/t-mobile-has-quietly-added-a-data-cap-to-their-home-internet/ https://tmo.report/2024/01/t-mobile-has-quietly-added-a-data... (deprioritized after >1TB, but not capped or charged extra) Comcast/Xfinity seems like Big Snowflake Energy in this regard.
kstrauser 3y ago
Unpaid endorsement: if you’re in the Bay Area, see if you can get Sonic. Here are their labels: https://www.sonic.com/broadband-facts https://www.sonic.com/broadband-facts
- Cerium 3y ago
  Follow up unpaid endorsement, Sonic is incredible. Half the price of the competition with more features. Last time the power went out I got a text message from Sonic before I got one from the power company. Sonic texted saying my connection was down, they were looking into it. Then a couple minutes later saying that diagnostics show the power is likely off in my neighborhood.

thanksgiving 3y ago

> I know that ISPs oversell. That’s fair and reasonable. No ISP would build out their network as though every customer were using 100% capacity 24x7. The degree of overselling we see today with ridiculously low data caps is just obscene. My conspiracy theory is this is NOT overselling or over subscription but a coordinated attempt to shape consumer behavior away from online streaming toward their own offering that is not subject to the data cap such as cable television. How come frontier does not have data caps but Comcast Xfinity does? Why does Comcast Xfinity not have data caps specifically where they have competitors? This is not anything official, just a thought.

kstrauser 3y ago
I don’t think that’s much of a conspiracy. See “zero rating”: “you pay to stream from those mean leeches at Netflix, but our wonderful service doesn’t count against you!”

JumpCrisscross 3y ago

> No ISP would build out their network as though every customer were using 100% capacity 24x7 My FCC data label says unlimited.

kstrauser 3y ago
Mine too. Our ISPs didn’t build their infrastructure as though each customer would be maxing out their connection at all times. It does mean they have a good idea of how fat their pipes need to be to support the traffic loads they see on their graphs. Then they buy enough capacity to meet those needs, plus some safety margin. For instance, if all customers had 1Gb service and peak usage on their end is everyone streaming Netflix at 40Mbps at 8PM, it would be prohibitively expensive for them to buy the capacity to support every customer downloading at 1Gb simultaneously when 40Mb is only 4% of that.

toomuchtodo 3y ago

Metronet fiber is unlimited, no cap. https://support.metronet.com/hc/en-us/articles/360043044794-Does-Metronet-have-data-caps https://support.metronet.com/hc/en-us/articles/360043044794-... Frontier, Astound (acquired WOW), CenturyLink and Quantum Fiber, AT&T Fiber as well. https://www.cnet.com/home/internet/best-internet-providers-with-no-data-caps/ https://www.cnet.com/home/internet/best-internet-providers-w... Also, humorously, Starlink and T-Mobile Home 5G. https://www.starlink.com/legal/documents/DOC-1469-65206-75 https://www.starlink.com/legal/documents/DOC-1469-65206-75 https://tmo.report/2024/01/t-mobile-has-quietly-added-a-data-cap-to-their-home-internet/ https://tmo.report/2024/01/t-mobile-has-quietly-added-a-data... (deprioritized after >1TB, but not capped or charged extra) Comcast/Xfinity seems like Big Snowflake Energy in this regard.

kstrauser 3y ago

Unpaid endorsement: if you’re in the Bay Area, see if you can get Sonic. Here are their labels: https://www.sonic.com/broadband-facts https://www.sonic.com/broadband-facts

Cerium 3y ago
Follow up unpaid endorsement, Sonic is incredible. Half the price of the competition with more features. Last time the power went out I got a text message from Sonic before I got one from the power company. Sonic texted saying my connection was down, they were looking into it. Then a couple minutes later saying that diagnostics show the power is likely off in my neighborhood.