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Comcast cuts off customer for going over 250GB of legitimate use

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Re: Comcast cuts off customer for going over 250GB of legitimate use

#71

Post by Locke1689 »

Thangorodrim wrote: post #11
fuzzmeister wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would agree with your argument if the broadband market were actually competitive. The author has no legitimate options for broadband besides Comcast, meaning Comcast can do essentially anything it wants to him. That is not the way a capitalist economy should work.

Actually, that is the way capitalist economies work in reality. This is a lot of crying for attention. If he wants to have a commercial use case, he should get a commercial circuit.

You have made a logical fallacy sometimes known as the is-ought fallacy or is-ought problem.

The key point is that the parent is stating that things ought to work a certain way. While your statement that things are a certain way may be true, it is actually a non sequitur in relation to the ought proposal.

If you wish to make a cogent argument you'll need to address the ought section of his argument or connect your "is" statement to be no longer orthogonal.

Re: Comcast cuts off customer for going over 250GB of legitimate use

#72

Post by jamesaguilar »

Raesan wrote: post #37
rudle wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What, exactly, does Comcast have a monopoly on? Basic internet access might be considered a necessary utility, but an unlimited 15MB line is certainly not. Also, http://www.google.com/search?q=high+speed+internet+seattle+w...

I live in Capitol Hill (right in the middle of Seattle), and Comcast is the only ISP in my area that offers a connection faster than 5mbps. It's a legitimate problem.

Even if internet access is a right, internet access >5mbps certainly is not.

Re: Comcast cuts off customer for going over 250GB of legitimate use

#73

Post by dkl »

pavel_lishin wrote: post #61
fr0sty wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Your water and electricity utilities most likely also have caps on how much water or electricity you can use before they cut you off. They do? Where is this the case? My water and electricity usage have no monthly cap and are only shut off if I fail to pay the bills.

The only example, which is kind of spurious, that comes to mind is drought in Texas - if you're watering your lawn during a drought, or decide to fill up your empty pool, I believe that there are actual legal consequences.

There is no analogy to internet use. It's not a scarce resource.

Re: Comcast cuts off customer for going over 250GB of legitimate use

#74

Post by reduxredacted »

megaman821 wrote: post #34
bradleyland wrote: post #24

The author had me up until the moment he claimed that internet access is a "right". Ok, so let's say internet access is a "right". Rights often come within a framework. You have many rights that are yours for the losing. Your freedom to come and go freely, for example. If you break a law, you lose your freedom by being put in jail. To say something is a "right" is to say that it ought to be available, or that the gov…

Your water and electricity utilities most likely also have caps on how much water or electricity you can use before they cut you off. Except if you go over a few times they won't ban you from their service for a year. They just want you to curb your use, which is exactly what this guy was willing to do.

To be clear, though: Water and Electric utilities in the US (and I believe this is true of Canada) are also heavily regulated, including the requirement of a government approved meter that measures in a consistent and accurate manner. In addition, one pays based on what one consumes at rates that are at least partially controlled by another regulatory body. In our area, this is the case because there we have no choice to use a different electricity or natural gas provider. The same could be said about our options for broadband service, except that it lacks the same oversight. As a result, municipalities that have AT&T, Wide Open West, Comcast and a variety of less-fast DSL options have significantly better "specials" and even service options. I, for instance, can subscribe to Comcast Business service, whereas my parents a few cities over, where Comcast is the only reasonable choice, can only use their residential option.

I agree, it's not a right, but I think the author is correct in stating that Internet access is an essential utility.

Re: Comcast cuts off customer for going over 250GB of legitimate use

#75

Post by matwood »

megaman821 wrote: post #34
bradleyland wrote: post #24

The author had me up until the moment he claimed that internet access is a "right". Ok, so let's say internet access is a "right". Rights often come within a framework. You have many rights that are yours for the losing. Your freedom to come and go freely, for example. If you break a law, you lose your freedom by being put in jail. To say something is a "right" is to say that it ought to be available, or that the gov…

Your water and electricity utilities most likely also have caps on how much water or electricity you can use before they cut you off. Except if you go over a few times they won't ban you from their service for a year. They just want you to curb your use, which is exactly what this guy was willing to do.

Your water and electricity utilities most likely also have caps on how much water or electricity you can use before they cut you off.

Most utilities cannot just shut you off. Many states have laws that determine when and how. The biggest thing about a utility though is that you pay for usage. If you want to leave your lights on all day, they really don't care as long as you continue to pay your bill.

Personally, I don't see a problem with metered broadband, and only have a problem with the current pricing structures. Look at the mobile space to see how messed up it can be. Companies set prices at a usage level that is just below what a person really needs so they force people into the next tier with the hopes the person will not actually use it. Instead, I would support a flat rate per GB. I've seen numbers like $6/GB thrown around for mobile (it would obviously be a lot lower for line connected broadband, but you get the idea).

If we do end up with broadband treated as a utility in the US, I would bet that it will be metered and charged for usage. It's the most fair way to support the system and will naturally prevent people from doing something similar to leaving their lights on all day.

Re: Comcast cuts off customer for going over 250GB of legitimate use

#76

Post by dkl »

crs wrote: post #17
naner wrote: post #6

I listened to him read his canned warning that if I exceeded their cap again I'd be cut off again. Ok. Sure, the data cap sucks, but this guy broke a Comcast policy, got a warning, and then broke the policy again. I'm not surprised he got cut off. I do not recall details on how long the cut off would be, likely because I spent the next few minutes working with the service agent to add notes to my record about my deta…

Actually if you read his post from a day ago, you will see him state he stopped the open access point. He took steps to stop what he thought was the issue. It was not until the cap was broken a second time that he realized it was his backup system uploading to a 3rd party service. That is not entitlement at all. If anything it was ignorance of the fact that your upload data is also measured against the cap. I agree w…

That is not entitlement at all. If anything it was ignorance of the fact that your upload data is also measured against the cap.

This. I would never have guessed upstream was counted. I thought this was only about downstream bandwidth.

Re: Comcast cuts off customer for going over 250GB of legitimate use

#77

Post by powertower »

dvdhsu wrote: post #46
shareme wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wrong... 1. Satellite Broadband 2. Wireless Broadband(most wireless co's slow bandwidth by 15% after bandwidth cap is exceeded and do not cut off) In building use buy a $200 Wilson Wireless amplifier

Both have terrible latency. Furthermore, they both have bandwidth caps. While the provider will not cut you off for going above, they will start charging you absurd prices for it. The only wireless broadband provider now who doesn't chargis for over usage is Sprint. If he is cut off from that, the situation repeats itself. There is no competition, and that is the main problem.

Prepaid wireless broadband will always cut you off as long as you use a pre-paid card.

Re: Comcast cuts off customer for going over 250GB of legitimate use

#78

Post by culturestate »

sp332 wrote: post #25
naner wrote: post #6

I listened to him read his canned warning that if I exceeded their cap again I'd be cut off again. Ok. Sure, the data cap sucks, but this guy broke a Comcast policy, got a warning, and then broke the policy again. I'm not surprised he got cut off. I do not recall details on how long the cut off would be, likely because I spent the next few minutes working with the service agent to add notes to my record about my deta…

Comcast refused to work with him, even though he was willing and motivated to address the problem. Even after being careful with bandwidth and disabling his public access point, they still cut him off for a year with no appeal. This mirrors what happened to me. I was given an automated warning. I called the security number but they wouldn't tell me what sort of traffic I should be looking for. They didn't even have a…

"...at least managed to switch to a business account, which isn't too much more expensive and has no cap."

Down here we've got Cox, with the same 250GB cap, and business accounts are literally $180 per month more expensive than the residential accounts. I pay $69.99 at home and $250.00 at the office for the exact same service.

Re: Comcast cuts off customer for going over 250GB of legitimate use

#79

Post by matwood »

pavel_lishin wrote: post #61
fr0sty wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Your water and electricity utilities most likely also have caps on how much water or electricity you can use before they cut you off. They do? Where is this the case? My water and electricity usage have no monthly cap and are only shut off if I fail to pay the bills.

The only example, which is kind of spurious, that comes to mind is drought in Texas - if you're watering your lawn during a drought, or decide to fill up your empty pool, I believe that there are actual legal consequences.

They are not likely to turn you off, but are likely to stop by and write you a ticket for violating the water usage ordinance.

Re: Comcast cuts off customer for going over 250GB of legitimate use

#80

Post by bgentry »

ctide wrote: post #52
naner wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Assuming Comcast is the only ISP in his area, can he sign up for a Comcast business account? It appears he doesn't just want his account reinstated but he expects unlimited data use.

Or just pay for one of the higher speed options. I've gone over the bandwidth cap without fail every month, and they don't care since I pay for the higher speed option (previously the 50Mbit line, now the 105.)

Even though their contract specifies the same data cap for all speed options... So that means that at any time they can decide to terminate you for the same reason.
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