(Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Comcast)

Forced into their homes amid the coronavirus outbreak, those lucky enough to be working from home are catching an extra break from some of the biggest internet service provider’s broadband data caps.

Internet service providers including AT&T, Comcast and CenturyLink have waived or paused their data usage limits for the next 60 days now that millions of Americans were ordered to stay home and are using more data than usual.

“With so many people working and educating from home, we want our customers to access the Internet without thinking about data plans,” Comcast said in a statement. “While the vast majority of our customers do not come close to using the 1TB of data in a month, we are pausing our data plan for 60 days giving all customers Unlimited data for no additional charge.”

Broadband giants are lifting these caps for now, but they spent millions to lobby Congress to keep them legal over the last decade. Broadband giants such as AT&T and Comcast advocated for data caps starting in 2010 to manage high-usage through higher fees.

Since 2010, the telecom service industry has spent a staggering $953 million in lobbying. They shelled out over $93 million in 2018 and nearly $101 million last year.

Data caps saw serious opposition in 2012 when Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) introduced the Data Cap Integrity Act of 2012, which prohibited data caps by internet service providers unless they were certified by the FCC. The bill never left the Senate. Even then, consumer rights groups such as Free Press criticized the restrictions for being unnecessary in managing network congestion. Those groups see it as an easy way for internet service providers to charge consumers more per month.

In the same year, the telecom industry spent more than $97.6 million on lobbying and hired 603 lobbyists to argue on its behalf – more than half of the industry’s lobbyists were former government employees. Some of the industry’s biggest spenders for that year include the Wireless Association (CTIA), which spent $12.4 million, and Time Warner Cable, which spent over $7.7 million.

The industry’s move to temporarily waive data caps comes after a group of 18 senators asked the heads of top internet service providers such as Comcast, Verizon., and T-Mobile to do so.

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“No one should be penalized or suffer financial duress for following guidance from the CDC, their employer, local public health officials, or school leaders,” read the letter, which was signed by presidential hopeful Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) among others. “Unfortunately, many Americans are subject to restrictive data caps for their home broadband service – caps that could be particularly onerous given the more intensive broadband usage of households practicing social distancing measures and the economic uncertainty for which too many people without paid sick leave are already bracing.”

Still, telecommunication companies spent big to have lawmakers look the other way on its data caps. In 2015, Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) proposed a net neutrality bill but did not include data caps in the legislation. The telecom service industry was one of Thune’s top donors in the 2016 election cycle. Thune received more than $225,000 from the industry. Employees of AT&T, Verizon Inc. and Comcast were among the top contributors to Thune’s campaign committee and leadership PAC. They also collectively donated more than $70,000 to Upton’s campaign committee and leadership PAC that cycle.

Also in 2015, Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) introduced the No Rate Regulation of Broadband Internet Access Act, which prohibited the FCC from regulating the rates charged for broadband internet access service. The bill passed the House but was lost in the Senate. Over the course of Kinzinger’s career, employees of AT&T gave $56,500 and affiliates of Comcast gave $55,250.

The industry, consisting largely of internet service providers, spent more than $89.8 million on lobbying in 2015. Comcast and primary broadband trade association The Internet & Television Association (NCTA) were the top lobbying spenders in the industry. In that year, Comcast spent $15.5 million while the NCTA spent $14.1 million.

Traditionally, the industry’s federal political giving is similar across both sides of the aisle. So far this cycle, Democrats received over $4.6 million in donations while Republicans received more than $4.2 million.

The temporary lift of data caps has tech critics hopeful that this will be a permanent change for consumers.

The industry wields significant influence over its oversight agency, the FCC. The industry’s lobbyists earlier this year urged the FCC to lower broadband speeds in the agency’s $20.4 billion rural broadband initiative. The industry received support in their broadband battles from multiple revolving door FCC members including former FCC chairman Julius Genachowski, who supported data limits.



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