I live in Little Rock, which was recently hit with data caps. As luck would have it, my son came home from college for the holidays at about the same time I started getting messages from Comcast saying I was close to exceeding the 300 GB limit. My son is a 22-year-old, so that didn't surprise me.
A new billing cycle started on January 1, 2016, and when I checked my account, it reflected that I had consumed close to 140 GB in nine days. Again, I guess I can blame it on my son. I thought I'd check Comcast's "Data Usage Meter" and it didn't even show my usage for January. That's a HUGE problem. If I am going to be charged extra money, I have a right to know exactly what I'm being charged for - and the "meter" had better be up-to-date.
I have several other very big beefs with Comcast regarding data caps.
Number one: I have no alternatives. Comcast is the only option in my area for high speed internet. No choice is NEVER a good thing.
Number two: Targeting vulnerable regions. Comcast has introduced data caps to regions that either have little competition or are similarly handicapped. Arkansas is 48th in the nation for broadband connectivity. Part of that is because there are large areas that aren't serviced by anyone. Part of it is because we're a poor state - many Arkansans cannot afford it. The median income of Arkansans is $41,262, compared to the U.S. median income of $53,657.
Number three: Comcast's CEO had the audacity to compare consumption of data to that of gasoline or electricity (especially since the cable companies are screaming that they don't want to be regulated like a public utility). I know exactly how much gasoline I put in my car when I fill it up. If I need one gallon of gas, I put one gallon in my car. If I need 10 gallons, I can put 10 gallons in my tank. If I don't need 10 gallons, I don't pay for 10 gallons. It's the same with electricity. I get charged for what I use. The electricity company does not charge me $300 a month ($300 being my highest bill for the year, always in January or February), just in case I need that much for the month. I am NOT going to pay $35 extra dollars per month, every month, just to cover those times my son is home from college. My average monthly consumption of data is less than 30 GB. If heavy consumption of data is a REAL problem, shouldn't I get rewarded for not consuming? Wouldn't it make sense to give us light weights a rebate?
No need for a response from the moderator. I just want it known that, in my opinion, the high-speed internet providers that are introducing (ridiculously low) data caps are anti-consumer, anti-small business, and anti-American.
... View more
