Users Say Comcast Bandwidth Usage Meter Still Not Reliable We've long noted that while Comcast insists its broadband usage meter is perfectly accurate, consumers traditionally have a notably different experience. As it stands, Comcast imposes a one terabyte cap on all customers -- except in markets in the Northeast where the cable giant faces more competition from the likes of Verizon FiOS. In these markets, users that cross the 1 terabyte limit face overage fees of $10 per each additional 50 GB consumed -- unless they pony up an additional $50 more per month to avoid usage caps entirely.

We've long noted how these usage caps and overage fees are little more than a price hike imposed on uncompetitive markets Worse, because no regulator independently determines that an ISP's usage meter is accurate, we've consistently seen occassions when users have been charged for usage they didn't engage in -- even in instances where modems were off or the power was out. Because regulators don't seem to care and competition leaves them without options, challenging an ISPs usage claim is all but impossible. As a result, most consumers are forced to grin and bear it when such ISPs impose these arbitrary, confusion, expensive and unnecessary restrictions on usage. Complaints to the FCC have proven useless, and with the current Trump FCC's ultra cozy relationship with the industry it's supposed to oversee, users shouldn't expect help from regulators any time soon. Over at Ars Technica, one users states they decided to cancel their Comcast broadband service after the company consistently accused the user of consuming more bandwidth than they actually did. And, as with previous complaints, the user says he was billed for additional usage despite his modem being off: quote: At one point, Weaver says he left town for three days and had left his wireless router unplugged, though the modem itself was plugged in. After his trip, Comcast's meter showed that he "used 500GB in three days of not even being home and not having a Wi-Fi network running," Weaver said..."I have been told no less than eight times that I can rest easy if I would just buy the $50 unlimited data plan," he said. "This whole thing reeks of scam." This has been an issue for the better part of the last decade, but we've yet to see a regulator or lawmaker give the problem so much as a fleeting glance. But as telcos increasingly refuse to upgrade their aging DSL networks at This has been an issue for the better part of the last decade, but we've yet to see a regulator or lawmaker give the problem so much as a fleeting glance. But as telcos increasingly refuse to upgrade their aging DSL networks at any real scale , companies like Comcast are using the resulting growing monopoly over real broadband (anything over 25 Mbps) to uniformly impose caps and overage fees. The only goal: abuse the lack of broadband competition to both hamstring and cash in on the rise in streaming video competitors.







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