VeeshanVault

Broadband Caps Coming to AT&T
JR Raphael, PC World

Nov 4, 2008 5:38 pm

The days of unlimited data transfers may be dwindling. AT&T is now testing the idea of a monthly data cap for its broadband Internet users, the company has confirmed, and could move toward a more widespread rollout in the future.

Trial Run

Users in Reno, Nev. will be the first to see the limits pop up, spokesman Michael Coe indicates, though a secondary test market may soon be added. Beginning this month, AT&T will restrict new customers in the affected areas based on their Internet plans. Users with the slowest speed DSL service will be limited to 20GB of bandwidth per month, while users of the fastest plan will receive a cap of 150GB a month. Any data transferred above the limit will be billed at a rate of $1 per gigabyte following a one-month grace period. Existing AT&T customers will not yet be affected but will be added into the test later this year. All existing users will automatically receive the highest cap of 150GB a month, Coe notes.

"We have previously stated that some type of usage-based model, for those customers who have abnormally high usage patterns, seems inevitable," he says.

Number Crunching

AT&T believes the caps are more than sufficient for average users, pointing out that a small subset of its customers -- about 5 percent -- uses a full 50 percent of the network's bandwidth, slowing things down for the remaining majority.

"Customers, for example, who are uploading and downloading the equivalent of more than 40,000 YouTube videos or 40 million e-mails a month," Coe explains. "This kind of heavy usage has an impact on all of our customers."

By published estimates, the lower-end 20GB/month limit would allow you to download about four HD movies a month before hitting your cap. The higher-end 150GB/month limit, in comparison, would allow for approximately 30 HD movie downloads, while a middle-of-the-road limit such as a 60GB/month scenario would provide bandwidth for 12 such streams.

Growing Trend

AT&T isn't the first provider to move toward bandwidth caps, but as America's largest ISP, it's certainly the one with the heaviest impact. Comcast started enforcing bandwidth limits of 250GB per month -- a slightly larger number than the maximum cap being tested by AT&T right now -- at the beginning of October. At the time, Comcast stated its average Internet customers stayed below 2GB to 3GB of bandwidth per month. Still, critics have lashed out at the idea, suggesting bandwidth needs will likely rise in the future and creep closer to the caps being put into place now.

As for AT&T, the company will provide customers with a bandwidth measuring tool so they can keep track of their usage and be aware where they stand in relation to their limits. (Other third-party measurement tools are also generally available, if you'd like to see where your usage falls.) AT&T also promises to notify users 60 days before any additional charges begin potentially appearing on their bills.

Aslanna wrote:I'm guessing if they include UVerse they will be able to differentiate the IPTV traffic.

150GB is only 5GB a day. That's pathetic. And 20GB for their slowest plan? Man that sure wont win them any new customers. If anything makes me switch to Comcast (eww) it would be this. 250GB is a little more flexible.

Zaelath wrote:

Aslanna wrote:I'm guessing if they include UVerse they will be able to differentiate the IPTV traffic.

150GB is only 5GB a day. That's pathetic. And 20GB for their slowest plan? Man that sure wont win them any new customers. If anything makes me switch to Comcast (eww) it would be this. 250GB is a little more flexible.

LOL, so because you're in the top 5% of bandwidth users you will leave their network and allow them to service the 95% that won't give a shit about a cap they don't get anywhere near? That's what they call win:win

Aslanna wrote: And if losing 5% of their customers would be considered a win I wouldn't want you running any business I was involved with. With new services being introduced such as the Netflix streaming I'd be surprised if this wouldn't end up impacting more than 5% of the subscriber base within a short timeframe.

Bubba Grizz wrote:Is there a way to tell how much you are using? I'm curious to see where I stand in that regard.

Every provider that tracks data usage that I've seen exposes that data to their customer via their account management web site.

Zaelath wrote:I appreciate your broad experience in being an advocate for the entitlement generation, but that aside, you have no idea what you're talking about. I'll bet my broadband bill for a year against yours that there won't be a provider out there in 5 years (perhaps as little as 2) without a cap.*

Sumdaor wrote:

Every provider that tracks data usage that I've seen exposes that data to their customer via their account management web site.

Umm.... I know thats not true. I assume your talking on the customer level? As far as bandwidth utilization across your network, I work for a larger isp that tracks usage, but doesn't make this information available to the public. Then again we don't have a cap, and have no talks to ever start one.

And yeah I will take your bet that the top 10 isp's in the U.S today don't have caps in 5 years.

Are there any usage limits for my broadband service?
Yes. As of May 2, 2011, AT&T's residential DSL High Speed Internet plans will have a usage allowance of 150 Gigabytes ("GB") per month, and its residential U-verse High Speed Internet plans will have a usage allowance of 250 Gigabytes ("GB") per month. The usage allowance is the amount of data you can send and receive each month.

Why is AT&T implementing a usage allowance?
AT&T has experienced a dramatic increase in the amount of data that is sent and received over its wireline broadband networks. This dramatic increase is driven primarily by a small fraction of our customers. In fact, the top 2% of customers use about 20% of the total capacity on our network. A single high traffic user can utilize the same amount of data capacity as 19 typical households. Lopsided usage patterns can cause congestion at certain points in the network, which can slow Internet speeds and interfere with other customers' access to and use of the network.

What will happen if I exceed my monthly usage allowance?
You will receive a notice the first time your usage exceeds the applicable monthly allowance.

In the following months, we will send you additional notices each month when your usage exceeds 65%, 90% and 100% of your monthly usage allowance. If you exceed your monthly allowance a second time, AT&T will send you a notice advising you that the next time you exceed your allowance - the third time - you will be billed $10 for each 50 GB of data over your allowance.

Aslanna wrote:I guess their trial went fine since I just got this email

Are there any usage limits for my broadband service?
Yes. As of May 2, 2011, AT&T's residential DSL High Speed Internet plans will have a usage allowance of 150 Gigabytes ("GB") per month, and its residential U-verse High Speed Internet plans will have a usage allowance of 250 Gigabytes ("GB") per month. The usage allowance is the amount of data you can send and receive each month.

Why is AT&T implementing a usage allowance?
AT&T has experienced a dramatic increase in the amount of data that is sent and received over its wireline broadband networks. This dramatic increase is driven primarily by a small fraction of our customers. In fact, the top 2% of customers use about 20% of the total capacity on our network. A single high traffic user can utilize the same amount of data capacity as 19 typical households. Lopsided usage patterns can cause congestion at certain points in the network, which can slow Internet speeds and interfere with other customers' access to and use of the network.

What will happen if I exceed my monthly usage allowance?
You will receive a notice the first time your usage exceeds the applicable monthly allowance.

In the following months, we will send you additional notices each month when your usage exceeds 65%, 90% and 100% of your monthly usage allowance. If you exceed your monthly allowance a second time, AT&T will send you a notice advising you that the next time you exceed your allowance - the third time - you will be billed $10 for each 50 GB of data over your allowance.

Boooo! And it's funny the link they give you to track usage is under construction.

But seriously.. Why build the infrastructure and offer high-speed data plans just to cap usage? I may as well drop down to a lower speed and save money. I don't care if that YouTube video takes 3 extra seconds to start.

Bubba Grizz wrote:Is there a way to tell how much you are using? I'm curious to see where I stand in that regard.

Aslanna wrote:And if losing 5% of their customers would be considered a win I wouldn't want you running any business I was involved with.

Fairweather Pure wrote:Today's power user is tomorrow's average user!

Aabidano wrote:

Fairweather Pure wrote:Today's power user is tomorrow's average user!

In a number of years maybe if something disruptive comes out that requires assgobs of bandwidth.

I used to have 20Mb service, downgraded to 10Mb after my son moved out. Could realistically drop back to DSL speeds and it wouldn't bother me, save $35 a month too.

Winnow wrote:Lets face it. The internet is the primary entertainment for many. The last thing I want to do on my personal time, is wait for something. I can't stand lines IRL and want as close to instant gratification as I can get on the web. The same applies for cell phone/data. The faster the better. Who wants to wait around for a page to download on a break?

U-Verse -- AT&T's high-speed broadband, television and telephone network -- now limits customers to 250 gigabytes of Internet usage each month. DSL users are capped at 150 GB. Customers who exceed the limits will have to pay $10 for each additional 50 GB.

The U-verse data measurement report is currently under construction. When completed, you will be notified if your usage exceeds the allowance. Until that time, U-verse customers should not be concerned about their usage patterns for billing purposes.

Winnow wrote:No Caps yet with COX

Aabidano wrote:

Winnow wrote:No Caps yet with COX

They're letting AT&T be the test dummy.

Winnow wrote:No Caps yet with COX

12. Bandwidth, Data Storage and Other Limitations. Cox offers multiple packages of Service with varying speeds, features and bandwidth usage limitations (not all packages are available in all areas). You must comply with the current bandwidth, data storage, electronic mail and other Features and Limits of Service that correspond with the package of Service you selected. In addition to complying with the limitations for specific features, you must ensure that your activities do not improperly restrict, inhibit, or degrade any other user's use of the Service, nor represent (in Cox’s sole judgment) an unusually great burden on the network itself. In addition, you must ensure that your use does not improperly restrict, inhibit, disrupt, degrade or impede Cox's ability to deliver the Service and monitor the Service, backbone, network nodes, and/or other network services. If your bandwidth usage exceeds the amount included in your Internet package, Cox may suspend the Service or require you to upgrade the Service to a higher package and/or pay additional fees. In extreme cases, Cox may terminate the Service after providing adequate notice and opportunity for you to modify your bandwidth usage.

Aslanna wrote: http://ww2.cox.com/aboutus/policies/limitations.cox for the plans and bandwidth amounts. Some (Ultimate and Premiere Plus) give 400GB which seems like a decent amount depending on the rate.

Chidoro wrote:Comcast has just opened up Extreme 105 in my area. The promotional cost is $105 per month for 12 months which will go up to $199 afterwards.
I find it funny that these folks might still be limited to the 250 gig cap. 105Mbps down and 10Mbps up is the listed speed.

Boogahz wrote:AT&T STILL doesn't have any usage monitor for Uverse users. It has been "under construction" since the original email went out.

Boogahz wrote:yeah, you supposedly don't have to worry until you go over the cap, which is when they'll notify you.

The U-verse data measurement report is currently under construction. When completed, you will be notified if your usage exceeds the allowance. Until that time, U-verse customers should not be concerned about their usage patterns for billing purposes.

To learn more about how to manage your usage, please visit http://www.att.com/internet-usage

Boogahz wrote:The only part I am upset about is including the Uverse television streams in the usage amount.

Boogahz wrote:The only part I am upset about is including the Uverse television streams in the usage amount.