Heavy Internet users unplugged by US cable company

[jay2000]

Several Internet users in the United States have been unplugged by their service provider because they download too much, a press report said here Friday. Cable Internet and entertainment provider Comcast “has punished some transgressors by cutting off their Internet service, arguing that excessive downloaders hog Internet capacity and slow down the network for other customers,” the Washington Post reported. Comcast spokesman Charlie Douglas told AFP the company was addressing “the problem of abusive activity that adversely impacts on everybody else’s experience.” “I can’t give you a number” for clients who have been disconnected, said Douglas, while assuring that customers whose plugs were pulled are “very rare.”

http://jayed.us/2007/09/08/heavy-internet-users-unplugged-by-us-cable-company/

[Hard Core Rikki]

So much for "unlimited plans"...
Setting invisible "boundaries", not telling people, and punish these as soon as you claim they stepped over them, is just plainly wrong, as such a "policy" was never told or disclaimed in the first place.
No place that kept its laws secret could ever be called free.

These better increase their bandwidth or increase their connection fees rather than kick people off the internet.
But expectly, increasing fees would make them less competitive, so funnily, kicking seems their only option. Thats how bad monopolies can turn. Not every comcast user has other ISPs available to switch to...

[Inventive Software]

Ooooh, if only they had the EU to stop this happening.

I get pissed off with companies that claim "unlimited", have a clause that says there's a "fair usage policy", but don't actually specify what that limit in the FUP is. They don't specify it in the contract, you don't have to adhere to it.

[noclip]

This pisses me off to no end. ISPs should not be allowed to advertise service as 6mbps if you can't download 2 terabytes per month. Period. If they want to limit you to 200GB they should either cap it at 600kbps and sell it as such or make the limit crystal clear in the same huge font as the "6mbps".

[scharfis_brain]

I don't understand why the ISPs do the brute (as well as unpopular!) disconnect of power users instead of throttling back their available bandwidth.

This would still ensure connection to the affected users while suppressing massive transfers.

I'd go even further: do the throttle in a proportional manner related to the transferred volume per duration (day/week/month etc.).

This way casual internet surfers will get insane speed, while power users will get their line slowed down progressively.

[noclip]

I don't understand why the ISPs do the brute (as well as unpopular!) disconnect of power users instead of throttling back their available bandwidth.

This would still ensure connection to the affected users while suppressing massive transfers.

I'd go even further: do the throttle in a proportional manner related to the transferred volume per duration (day/week/month etc.).

This way casual internet surfers will get insane speed, while power users will get their line slowed down progressively.

I'm not paying for "x megabits, throttled if I transfer more than a set limit", I'm paying (an admittedly far below-market price) for "x megabits". The burden of dealing with the issues that arise from overselling bandwidth should be on ISPs, not customers.

[Inventive Software]

But how can they get away with it? Don't the FCC give a crap about that sorta thing?

[4Dude]

I thought "Unlimited plan" meant NO METERED BANDWIDTH!!

[foxyshadis]

Ooooh, if only they had the EU to stop this happening.

This problem is endemic is in parts of Europe as well, the EU commissions don't stop it. Particularly the UK, which has all the same infrastructure problems as the US.

And yes, it's all about false advertising, but so far no one's stepped up to the plate to take them to task for it. If your level of download can't be met with a $80/mo plan, then they should offer a $160/mo plan, $300/mo, etc. Or just meter you for every gig over a free threshold. That's sane economics. But I suppose they don't think it would be good business to advertise actual limits.

[Syris2k4]

Heh, I got a warning for abusing my 3gb pm capped account and getting it to around 9gb through various methods. In the good ol RSA costs a home user about $9 per 1gb and around $25 for a 384/128k dsl connection with a 24hour reset :) And with these costs, they still advertise "download movies! and play the latest games"... heh :P

[Soulhunter]

Haha, my old provider [1&1] did the same, more or less... I had a flatrate, but after some months they send me a letter: "Dear customer... blah blah blah... you download to much... blah blah blah... we dont make money this way... blah blah blah... if you go to a different provider we give you 100 Euros and you can keep all the hardware". I took the 100 Euros and switched to a better provider... Since then, I download 2x as much at 3x the speed for 1/2 the price, and nobody complains!


Bye

[Doom9]

The unlimited lie that is perpetuated through the broadband world is exactly why movie download services will not take hold in the next couple of years. Currently, every broadband line is overbooked anywhere from a factor of 8 to 20.. you do the math if people suddenly downloaded movies (and imagine HD movies.. 700MB won't do it) instead of buying them in a store.

The provider that basically cut me off over a year ago (by throttling the connection to a few kbits/s) now has a 16mbit plan (their highest bandwidth) that is limited to 20 gigs. It's 10-20 bucks cheaper than comparable lines that have no cap and no fair use clause in the contract.

[noclip]

The provider that basically cut me off over a year ago (by throttling the connection to a few kbits/s) now has a 16mbit plan (their highest bandwidth) that is limited to 20 gigs. It's 10-20 bucks cheaper than comparable lines that have no cap and no fair use clause in the contract.

16 megabits capped at 20GB? That's three hours of sustained usage per month.

[Doom9]

That's three hours of sustained usage per month.That's what I said. But I guess there are people who get 16mbit just to download the monthly patchset from Microsoft... then of course 20GB is enough. Today's broadband providers thrive on the 08/15 email and web users that have no interest in P2P, Streaming (be it video or audio), community video sharing sites (myspace, youtube) and the likes.

[Soulhunter]

Hmm, if I would only download Windows patches/updates n check my e-mails, Id pick a cheap "download volume limited" package, not a more expensive flatrate, huh?


Bye

[mr soft]

The great swindle
Most adverts for the internet packages are for the maximum speed. You don’t see many ads for 1 mb as most people would use.

Try downgrading. I did, from 2mb to 1 mb, one and a half years later, bingo. Oh they gave me free 56k while I was waiting (punishment I think)

Anyone wanting to downgrade, it’s easier, and quicker to change your number, trust me.

I went into a Vodafone shop in Seville, and asked about one of the USB wireless modems, if they were capped ect.
I was told there was no limit but, there was no access to p2ps
When I asked why, she replied, because they are illegal. :eek: :confused:

[Hard Core Rikki]

Advertisements have turned misleading since a while, and this recent forceful enforcement isn't a good omen.

Well, at least you're "only" cut from net, not suddenly sent surrealist 2.000 dollar bills dollars for "excessive bandwidth usage". Gasp !!

[4Dude]

I took the 100 Euros and switched to a better provider... Since then, I download 2x as much at 3x the speed for 1/2 the price, and nobody complains!Good for you!!

There are still some companies that arent money hungry fools...

The problem is: They say "Unlimited plan" because they think no one will go over XXX amount of usage per month...

Im amazed they let you keep the equipment though :)

[MetalheadGautham]

Good for you!!

There are still some companies that arent money hungry fools...

The problem is: They say "Unlimited plan" because they think no one will go over XXX amount of usage per month...

Im amazed they let you keep the equipment though :)

they do stuff differently to differently.
If I was the president's lawyer, or a real winer in courts, ISPs will just have to keep their mouth shut, or pay me to switch service.
If I was a poor old granny, or a guy who is a clueless n00b when it comes to legal matters, I get kicked out to the streets. simple as that.

[Inventive Software]

Old news, but Ofcom announced at the end of last year they're prepared to spend large sums of money to target the broadband providers for false advertising. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6199509.stm

They also announced a few weeks ago that they're going to look into it again, at the request of consumer group Which.

[Shinigami-Sama]

Old news, but Ofcom announced at the end of last year they're prepared to spend large sums of money to target the broadband providers for false advertising. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6199509.stm

They also announced a few weeks ago that they're going to look into it again, at the request of consumer group Which.

new news to me
thanks for the sauce mate

[Soulhunter]

Im amazed they let you keep the equipment though :)
Well, they needed my ok to annul the contract before it officially ended... So they bribed me with the money/equipment! ;D


Bye

[audiohominis]

Several Internet users in the United States have been unplugged by their service provider because they download too much, a press report said here Friday. Cable Internet and entertainment provider Comcast “has punished some transgressors by cutting off their Internet service, arguing that excessive downloaders hog Internet capacity and slow down the network for other customers,” the Washington Post reported. Comcast spokesman Charlie Douglas told AFP the company was addressing “the problem of abusive activity that adversely impacts on everybody else’s experience.” “I can’t give you a number” for clients who have been disconnected, said Douglas, while assuring that customers whose plugs were pulled are “very rare.”

http://jayed.us/2007/09/08/heavy-internet-users-unplugged-by-us-cable-company/
Ha-ha! Their pitchy telemarketers were so begging me to switch to their service. "We offer much higher speeds" and whatnot. Screw them! I'm happy I didn't switch. They can't supply enough bandwidth for all subscribers, so they cut off the service? Are they some kind of retards? I say tie them up and burn them!!!