Comcast: Users 'Neutral to Slightly Positive' About Usage Caps

Comcast has slowly but surely been expanding trials for both a 300 GB usage cap (with $10 per 50 gigabyte overages), and a 5 GB usage cap (with $1 per gigabyte overages) -- mostly in less competitive markets. Speaking on this week's earnings conference call, Comcast President Neil Smit was asked how he thought the trials were going.

"We’re testing different types of usage-based pricing offerings," said Smit. "Thus far the consumer response has been neutral to slightly positive. We'll continue to monitor it."

Smit doesn't state precisely what kind of questions were asked to obtain these "neutral to slightly positive" responses.

That tepid response may be a problem, as a large part of the trials involve not only ensuring that billing systems work, but perfecting the marketing message so that consumers buy into the idea of metered billing. Taking a quick look into the official Comcast forums, one is hard pressed to find many "neutral to positive" responses.

"PLEASE tell me how to stop this stupid thing," says one rather not positive-neutral subscriber. "I don't understand how they can select a city like that and push it on us," complains another. "Just wanted to let you know, as soon as the data cap hits in Orlando I will be terminating my services immediately," says a third decidedly not neutral or remotely positive customer.

If the consumers Comcast are talking to are "neutral to positive" about what's essentially a rate hike on customers, they're clearly not particularly well informed about what's at stake. That's not surprising when their only information on the cap and overage pricing model is coming from Comcast.