# Comcast broadband to suspend heavy users, but won't say how much you can use! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 22, 2003, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comcast-broadband-to-suspend-heavy-users-but-wont-say-how-much-you-can-use/203197 "2003-09-22T22:59:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comcast-broadband-to-suspend-heavy-users-but-wont-say-how-much-you-can-use/203197/1 "2003-09-22T22:59:22Z")
I don’t even use Comcast, but still this pissed me off so much that I hope anyone considering using Comcast read this and reconsider. [http://news.com.com/2100-1034\_3-5079624.html](http://news.com.com/2100-1034_3-5079624.html) > [@](#): > > Earlier this month, a Philadelphia Comcast broadband subscriber got a letter from his service provider, telling him he’d been using the Internet too much. > > Keith, who asked to keep his full name private, said he’d subscribed to the service for four years and never had a complaint before. Now he was being labeled a network “abuser.” > > Worse, he said, Comcast refused to tell him how much downloading was allowed under his contract. A customer service representative had told him there was no specific cap, he said, adding that he might avoid being suspended if he cut his bandwidth usage in half. But even then, the lack of a hard number gave Keith no guarantee. What the buttfucking hell? I can understand making a download cap, BUT YOU HAVE TO TELL PEOPLE WHAT THE FUCK IT IS!!! ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comcast-broadband-to-suspend-heavy-users-but-wont-say-how-much-you-can-use/203197/2 "2003-09-22T23:11:04Z")
:eek: I have a Comcast cable modem and haven’t about this. Yet. This is freakin’ ridiculous. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comcast-broadband-to-suspend-heavy-users-but-wont-say-how-much-you-can-use/203197/3 "2003-09-22T23:14:21Z")
It’s beyond belief. Do you have DSL available in your area, Mr B? I’d start shopping around. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comcast-broadband-to-suspend-heavy-users-but-wont-say-how-much-you-can-use/203197/4 "2003-09-22T23:18:50Z")
Satellite broadband, children. Break comcast! ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comcast-broadband-to-suspend-heavy-users-but-wont-say-how-much-you-can-use/203197/5 "2003-09-22T23:24:00Z")
I’m on Comcast as well, right now. One word about this and I’ll…I’ll…start wishing I had another option… Dang. ---
**Author:** ![cheddarsnax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@cheddarsnax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cheddarsnax)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comcast-broadband-to-suspend-heavy-users-but-wont-say-how-much-you-can-use/203197/6 "2003-09-22T23:25:24Z")
First I had good cable internet from Mediacom. Then I had mediocre service from AT&T. Now I have shitty service from Comcast. I would switch to DSL, but I’ve used it before. I left Qwest because of two weeks of downtime, preceded by 4 straight weekends of spotty access (does nobody go to work there on weekends?). I involuntarily left EarthLink after following their own instructions (to issue a chargeback) resulted in my account being cancelled. I would switch to satellite, but it’s too damn expensive. I would switch to dial-up, but it’s too slow. How about I just go to the library when I need to use the Internet? It’s free! ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comcast-broadband-to-suspend-heavy-users-but-wont-say-how-much-you-can-use/203197/7 "2003-09-22T23:26:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Revtim \* > \*\*It’s beyond belief. Do you have DSL available in your area, Mr B? I’d start shopping around. \*\* Bell South offers DSL, so I do have an option. It does cost about $10 more per month and isn’t as fast, but I could live with it if I had to. ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comcast-broadband-to-suspend-heavy-users-but-wont-say-how-much-you-can-use/203197/8 "2003-09-22T23:53:24Z")
Actually, BellSouth DSL is faster than Comcast cable, at least according to their respective webpages (and my experience with BellSouth). From [Comcast](http://www.comcast.com/Benefits/CHSIDetails/Slot4PageOne.asp): > [@](#): > > Touchdown Speeds: Downloads faster than 768K DSL and up to 25 times faster than dial-up, and uploads up to twice as fast as DSL.\* Sounds nice, doesn’t it? The only problem with that statement is that BellSouth DSL is not 768kbps. It’s 1.5 Mbps. Notice also that they don’t even _say_ what the cap is! “Well, um see, it’s X times faster than dialup and it’s faster than 768k DSL. Yeah, it’s also faster than 640k DSL. Look, it’s faster than a jet airplane and a cheetah put together, how’s that?” The cable company here runs a similarly misleading ad on television, knowing full well that the the only DSL ISP available in this city is BellSouth and that their regular residential plan is 1.5Mbps. An amusing bit from the article: > [@](#): > > Even as Comcast sends out letters to its customers targeting high-volume users, the company bristles at the notion that the policy is a cap. Yeah, but… uh… Oh, nevermind. They know they’re idiots. ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comcast-broadband-to-suspend-heavy-users-but-wont-say-how-much-you-can-use/203197/9 "2003-09-22T23:54:11Z")
I can’t get DSL in my area (I’ve tried, oh how I’ve tried) so I am stuck with Comcast for now. I can’t imagine that I’d be targeted as an “abuser” of bandwidth, (I am not a big user of P2P or anything like that), but still—this thing pisses me off. Let them give us a tangible limit, and tell us all in writing beforehand, so we know what exactly we are getting for our money. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Ryan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7feea3/32.png) [@The\_Ryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Ryan)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comcast-broadband-to-suspend-heavy-users-but-wont-say-how-much-you-can-use/203197/10 "2003-09-23T00:25:44Z")
This is a ridiculous policy, but if someone doesn’t like it, shouldn’t they have not agreed to it? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comcast-broadband-to-suspend-heavy-users-but-wont-say-how-much-you-can-use/203197/11 "2003-09-23T00:30:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Ryan \* > \*\*This is a ridiculous policy, but if someone doesn’t like it, shouldn’t they have not agreed to it? \*\* True. Unless it wasn’t clearly spelled out. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comcast-broadband-to-suspend-heavy-users-but-wont-say-how-much-you-can-use/203197/12 "2003-09-23T00:48:37Z")
I’ll bet this is Comcast’s way of protecting themselves from RIAA subpoenas without coming right out and saying that they’re 86-ing MP3 downloaders. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comcast-broadband-to-suspend-heavy-users-but-wont-say-how-much-you-can-use/203197/13 "2003-09-23T00:52:38Z")
I don’t know how it can be spelled out at all, let alone unclearly, without an actual amount defined… ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comcast-broadband-to-suspend-heavy-users-but-wont-say-how-much-you-can-use/203197/14 "2003-09-23T01:00:41Z")
I think **Phase** nailed it. ---
**Author:** ![5-HT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/f19dbf/32.png) [@5-HT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5-HT)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comcast-broadband-to-suspend-heavy-users-but-wont-say-how-much-you-can-use/203197/15 "2003-09-23T01:05:35Z")
I too, think **Phase** probably nailed the reason behind this. It pisses me off though, because I have comcast and have had absolutely no complaints with the service. I don’t want to have to change it. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comcast-broadband-to-suspend-heavy-users-but-wont-say-how-much-you-can-use/203197/16 "2003-09-23T01:12:59Z")
I don’t buy the RIAA explanation. I don’t see why they wouldn’t simply give up the IPs when subpoenaed, like most other ISPs. I think the they simply want to add more subscribers without having to purchase more bandwidth. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comcast-broadband-to-suspend-heavy-users-but-wont-say-how-much-you-can-use/203197/17 "2003-09-23T01:23:33Z")
Maybe call the BBB? ---
**Author:** ![CnoteChris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/278dde/32.png) [@CnoteChris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CnoteChris)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comcast-broadband-to-suspend-heavy-users-but-wont-say-how-much-you-can-use/203197/18 "2003-09-23T01:30:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jonathan Chance \* > \*\*Satellite broadband, children. Break comcast! \*\* Except that satellite blows when it comes to latency. You might as well be on a 56k modem for what it’s worth. And then there’s the cost… What was the problem with Comcast again? And why is how much this guy used in a month not brought up? He’s gotta know… right? Just look at the connection settings and see how much he’s using from one month to the next. You know, it could turn out this guy was using far more than anyone in here is currently imagining. He could be using the bandwidth that a medium sized office normally does, while only being billed residential rates. When it comes to an isp, the differences in business prices compared to residential is substantial. And I always thought the reasoning for that was that businesses used far more bandwidth than residential users. Maybe Comcast is simply trying to bill him according to his usage. Which, in a sense, keeps the price that we pay for bandwidth low by having that guy pay more for his, if he really is using an inordinate amount of bandwidth. Come on reporter dude, tell us how much _he’s_ using? ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comcast-broadband-to-suspend-heavy-users-but-wont-say-how-much-you-can-use/203197/19 "2003-09-23T01:52:54Z")
He could be maxing it out 24/7, but they should still have to tell him **how much is too much** , if he can have service suspended for using too much. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comcast-broadband-to-suspend-heavy-users-but-wont-say-how-much-you-can-use/203197/20 "2003-09-23T03:14:56Z")
Damn. And here I am with an ISP that recently _dropped_ its pay-per-gig rate in favour of a flat fee. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comcast-broadband-to-suspend-heavy-users-but-wont-say-how-much-you-can-use/203197.md?page=2)