Comcast is Exempting its New Streaming Service From Usage Caps

Comcast last week launched its creatively named streaming video service "Stream" in Boston. This week, the company has announced it's now offering the service in Chicago. For $15 a month, the service provides Comcast's Internet-only customers access to live channels from all the major broadcast networks and HBO as well as "thousands of on demand choices."

It's the latest cable industry attempt to keep cord cutters in house in the face of slow but steady subscriber losses.

"We recognize that there's another audience that we might not be catering to, and that audience is an Internet-only customer whose primary consumption pattern tends to fall on mobile devices," Comcast said of the slowly-expanding launch.

Here's the interesting bit. The service doesn't count against Comcast usage caps. When asked, the company declared that the service "is an IP cable service delivered over our managed network to the home."

That's the same response Comcast gave when it was criticized for exempting its own streaming services delivered via the Xbox 360 (which it just discontinued). Net neutrality critics (and Netflix) complained in 2012 that the practice gave Comcast's own services an unfair advantage against competing services that do count against usage caps.

Those charges are certainly going to be levied again here once the general media realizes this is happening (in about a month).

It should be interesting to see what the FCC thinks about Comcast's latest dance with net neutrality, as the company slowly but surely expands caps into dozens of new markets. It's also worth noting that this decision would appear to violate Comcast's NBC merger conditions.

Interested users can give the service a spin (free for one month) by using the Xfinity TV app or the online portal. Comcast plans to make Stream TV available across its entire service area by early 2016. Those interested can find more detail over at the Comcast Stream website