Comcast charging for Netflix usage

[MrDudeMan]

How many people under the age of 35 live in your household? I am going to guess that it isn't a lot. Having an internet connection isn't a right, nor is driving a car, but you certainly improve your quality of life with both.

I mean, I get it, you don't use a lot of bandwidth. Some of us do. I work from home on occasion and that can use a lot of bandwidth. I, and my GF whom lives with me, use streaming services for the majority of our entertainment consumption, be it music or movies / shows. I also buy games digitally. I use internet services to contact people (Skype, etc). And, hitting 250GB is easy. That is with 2 adults in a house. Let's throw in some kids and see exactly how much data I use.

I mean, I agree that it is hard to hit 1000GB without doing something nefarious, but that isn't the problem of the ISPs (or, it shouldn't be, if they weren't attempting to sell us TV services...). My bandwidth usage should be impacting other people's, and from their own admission, it isn't.

I work from home half of the week and my wife works from home every day. My kids have to play outside most of the day, so their usage is limited by us artificially, which I think is just good parenting, but that's beside the point. We use ~50 GB/month and it's probably split 50:50 between work and pleasure. We occasionally stream something, but usually not more than once or twice per week.

I'm not saying my way is right and yours is wrong. I'm saying most people are using their connection like me, not you. Therefore, comcast feels justified at 300 GB because the vast majority of their users won't complain. I never said it was awesome and that we should all write 5 star reviews because the cap is increasing the qualify of our lives. They have zero incentive to change the cap if most people aren't anywhere near it and if those who exceed it will pay the associated fees.

Edit: I forgot to answer your question - 4. My wife and I are 29 and my kids are in elementary school. Their usage is going to increase as they get older, but it won't be due to streaming TV/movies/games. They get to use the ipad/computer sometimes, but they have to earn that time by playing outside and/or on something other than a device with a screen. I've imposed my own bandwidth caps lol.

 

[Zodiark1593]

How many people under the age of 35 live in your household? I am going to guess that it isn't a lot. Having an internet connection isn't a right, nor is driving a car, but you certainly improve your quality of life with both.

I mean, I get it, you don't use a lot of bandwidth. Some of us do. I work from home on occasion and that can use a lot of bandwidth. I, and my GF whom lives with me, use streaming services for the majority of our entertainment consumption, be it music or movies / shows. I also buy games digitally. I use internet services to contact people (Skype, etc). And, hitting 250GB is easy. That is with 2 adults in a house. Let's throw in some kids and see exactly how much data I use.

I mean, I agree that it is hard to hit 1000GB without doing something nefarious, but that isn't the problem of the ISPs (or, it shouldn't be, if they weren't attempting to sell us TV services...). My bandwidth usage should be impacting other people's, and from their own admission, it isn't.

Unless you have a group of toorent boys in a group, I call BS on the congestion excuse. Most likely scenario, torrent boy lives next to grandma, grandma can't even tell torrent boy is torrenting.

 

[boomerang]

I don't know what happened to cause it. I just know I had bought a motorola surfboard modem about 3 years ago. I installed it a reg it. When I go to the comcast page I get a message indicating they have trouble finding my equipment. I think it's a mess up on their part that might no be reproducible in other circumstances. I'm going to keep my mouth shut about it with comcast though.

Yeah, I would. I know that when I replaced their modem with my modem they showed both as being my equipment for months and months. I just looked and they're only showing my own modem now.

I had to call once to get them to remove the fee for their modem after they billed me for it after I returned it but thankfully it only took one call. You hear a lot of horror stories...

 

[smackababy]

I'm not saying my way is right and yours is wrong. I'm saying most people are using their connection like me, not you. Therefore, comcast feels justified at 300 GB because the vast majority of their users won't complain. I never said it was awesome and that we should all write 5 star reviews because the cap is increasing the qualify of our lives. They have zero incentive to change the cap if most people aren't anywhere near it and if those who exceed it will pay the associated fees.

Here is the difference between our views; your way might (and I'd love to see numbers on it) be the norm, but my way is the future. As more content becomes available online and the ways we communicate become increasingly digital, data usage increases.

Of course they have zero incentive to change the cap. They in most cases they are the only provider in a location, so you either get high speed internet or you don't, regardless of the level of service provided. And, once you do choose to get it, you either pay more money for overages or limit your usage. There is no alternative but to use them. If the ISPs were forced to compete, ones offering higher speeds and higher caps would have those who like that sort of thing flocking to them.

 

[smackababy]

Unless you have a group of toorent boys in a group, I call BS on the congestion excuse. Most likely scenario, torrent boy lives next to grandma, grandma can't even tell torrent boy is torrenting.

I meant shouldn't be impacting. And, two torrent boys living next to each other can't tell the other is torrenting. The ISPs aren't seeing massive slowdowns due to some "power users" using a ton of bandwidth. Netflix is a far bigger strain on their networks, and it shouldn't be impacting it. But, Netflix impacts their bottom line and they are somehow under the impression that strong arming the consumers into abandoning Netflix will increase their profits. If you can't watch something on Netflix due to bandwidth or slow speeds, you're obviously going to watch some network station they provide, right?

 

[boomerang]

Edit: I forgot to answer your question - 4. My wife and I are 29 and my kids are in elementary school. Their usage is going to increase as they get older, but it won't be due to streaming TV/movies/games. They get to use the ipad/computer sometimes, but they have to earn that time by playing outside and/or on something other than a device with a screen. I've imposed my own bandwidth caps lol.

Completely off topic but I commend your parenting skills. Watching our grand kids grow up I've become more convinced that too much time sitting in front of a screen is damaging.

 

[MrDudeMan]

Here is the difference between our views; your way might (and I'd love to see numbers on it) be the norm, but my way is the future. As more content becomes available online and the ways we communicate become increasingly digital, data usage increases.

I never refuted this. Of course it's right and I already addressed it by saying the cap should move with usage. They've already done that once, so it seems reasonable to expect that it will continue to move so most of their customers are under it. Just to be perfectly clear about my real opinion, there wouldn't be a cap ideally, but nothing about a utility is ideal until we have room temperature superconductors. Oh, also, Fuck comcast regardless of their cap.

Of course they have zero incentive to change the cap. They in most cases they are the only provider in a location, so you either get high speed internet or you don't, regardless of the level of service provided. And, once you do choose to get it, you either pay more money for overages or limit your usage. There is no alternative but to use them. If the ISPs were forced to compete, ones offering higher speeds and higher caps would have those who like that sort of thing flocking to them.

Competition would be great and I'm all for it.

Completely off topic but I commend your parenting skills. Watching our grand kids grow up I've become more convinced that too much time sitting in front of a screen is damaging.

Thanks. I see it in my sister's kids all the time because they get unfettered access to their ipads. Her kids are lazy, mouthy, and disobedient. The oldest one can't tie his shoes or ride a bike. Sitting in front of a screen all day isn't good for kids or adults and now I'm convinced of that... even though my job is to sit in front of a screen all day, which pisses me off, but puts food on the table. /sigh

I meant shouldn't be impacting. And, two torrent boys living next to each other can't tell the other is torrenting. The ISPs aren't seeing massive slowdowns due to some "power users" using a ton of bandwidth. Netflix is a far bigger strain on their networks, and it shouldn't be impacting it. But, Netflix impacts their bottom line and they are somehow under the impression that strong arming the consumers into abandoning Netflix will increase their profits. If you can't watch something on Netflix due to bandwidth or slow speeds, you're obviously going to watch some network station they provide, right?

I agree that the congestion argument is most likely bogus.

 

[zerocool84]

According to some, mostly on the left, Internet is a primal life necessity.

Sorry but Internet is a necessity nowadays.

 

[ch33zw1z]

I actually only have two choices and I would have gone with comcast if their price was lower, but it wasn't, so I didn't. I had comcast at my last house and I didn't have a choice, but I still wasn't crying about it.

I don't care about it, but not because it doesn't impact me. It makes sense for them to do it, so they're going to do it and nothing you say will change that. Having an internet connection isn't a right.

You're so cool.

I don't recall stating that internet access is a right.

 

[Sonikku]

It god damned is a necessity. Many of you pat yourselves on the back for giving up television. How many of you think you could give up the internet? How long do you think you'd last? A month? And I'm not talking things like being in the armed forces where you're deployed and you're FORCED to be without it for a stretch of time, but being surrounded by it here at home but choosing not to ever use it.

 

[Pulsar]

It god damned is a necessity. Many of you pat yourselves on the back for giving up television. How many of you think you could give up the internet? How long do you think you'd last? A month? And I'm not talking things like being in the armed forces where you're deployed and you're FORCED to be without it for a stretch of time, but being surrounded by it here at home but choosing not to ever use it.

Do you understand the definition of necessity?

 

[smackababy]

Do you understand the definition of necessity?

While, it isn't something that is indispensable, neither is running water or electricity. I dare you to live in a house without either. It sucks.

 

[Markbnj]

Sorry but Internet is a necessity nowadays.

It is completely a necessity, for school, to find a job, even to do a job for most people. Anyone who doesn't have high speed Internet access is at an absolute economic disadvantage.

 

[Sonikku]

It is completely a necessity, for school, to find a job, even to do a job for most people. Anyone who doesn't have high speed Internet access is at an absolute economic disadvantage.

This. You can't even apply for a lot of jobs without an internet connection these days! D:

 

[TheVrolok]

Hahaha... apparently you do not know what median means.
Median is not a average, its the middle number of the data.

Pretty amusing post. Median IS an average. Colloquial "average" is a mean. And for this data set, median is a more appropriate average to use than mean to appropriately express the point - which is the the vast majority of people don't use shitloads of data.

Unfortunately we all got spoiled with "unlimited Internet" when the pipe just wasn't that big. Now that broadband is nearly ubiquitous and streaming is becoming the norm, not a niche, everyone is whining and screaming about caps. Are your electricity or water unlimited? Why should you be able to pay such an absurdly small fee to download "unlimited" data. If you're using that much data, pay for it, and stop acting like a baby.

My mean usage per month for the past three months and to date this month is about 200 GB. I'm a big computer guy. I stream daily. I download all my games from Steam. I just don't understand how you guys have the free time to actually use 500-600 GB a month, unless you're just stockpiling data for no reason. Now if you're unemployed/retired and streaming all day, I get it.

 

[TwiceOver]

So glad my ISP doesn't have a cap. Sit right around that 500-650GB/mo area.

 

[Jimzz]

Pretty amusing post. Median IS an average. Colloquial "average" is a mean. And for this data set, median is a more appropriate average to use than mean to appropriately express the point - which is the the vast majority of people don't use shitloads of data.

No it is not, it is the middle of the data set.

"To find the Median, place the numbers you are given in value order and find the middle number."

 

[TheVrolok]

No it is not, it is the middle of the data set.

"To find the Median, place the numbers you are given in value order and find the middle number."

Average can refer to mean, median, or mode. These are measures of central tendency. Colloquially "average" implies arithmetic mean. We're arguing semantics here, but my guess is that you haven't done much more than high school math? The point is, they wanted to express the "central tendancy" of their data, without given undue credence to the significant outliers (those people DLing 1000 gbs a month which are a rarity). It makes sense.

 

[Lean L]

No it is not, it is the middle of the data set.

"To find the Median, place the numbers you are given in value order and find the middle number."

Yep.. this is stat. Median is type of average. The data will look different based on which average is used, but why would anyone use stats that doesn't support their cause?

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

I have more of an issue with throttling. Paying for a high data rate plan deliberately hobbled is not right. I've taken to using a VPN when things start looking like crap and it usually works.

 

[Shane_Connor]

I'm not like, complaining about a data cap, I know I use a lot of it. My in-laws work from home, my wife is doing online classes and I play online pretty often. I'm just trying to figure out if there's a way I can prove that my Netflix usage isn't what's pushing the data over considering I've been using it a lot for the past few months and the bill hasn't gone up until this month. I don't know if it helps that I've got two separate modems running from the main modem to our room for internet.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Comcast could only bill you if it knows you are using Netflix. Now I do not pretend to be an expert so I could be wrong, however if you sign up for a free VPN and use it I don't believe Comcast would know. Maybe someone who has a clue will opine on this one way or another.

 

[TheVrolok]

Comcast could only bill you if it knows you are using Netflix. Now I do not pretend to be an expert so I could be wrong, however if you sign up for a free VPN and use it I don't believe Comcast would know. Maybe someone who has a clue will opine on this one way or another.

I imagine Comcast isn't charging him specifically for Netflix, but rather simply for exceeding data cap.

I'm not like, complaining about a data cap, I know I use a lot of it. My in-laws work from home, my wife is doing online classes and I play online pretty often. I'm just trying to figure out if there's a way I can prove that my Netflix usage isn't what's pushing the data over considering I've been using it a lot for the past few months and the bill hasn't gone up until this month. I don't know if it helps that I've got two separate modems running from the main modem to our room for internet.

Where do you watch Netflix? Exclusively on your computer or something connected to a specific router (of the two)?

 

[Shane_Connor]

I've been using it on my ps4 which is connected to one of the two. And before that when they first started charging us, it was on the ps3 which was connected to their modem. The extra charge stopped after we got the ps4. And my brother-in-law has been using Netflix on his ps3 while he's here. Also, when we called Comcast about it they said it was Netflix going over the data cap.

 

[Regs]

No doubt, between my wife, both my kids, and myself all watching via the internet...6 hours a day can be divied up to 1.5 hours of HD streaming per person / per day.

Sounds about right.

I keep thinking about just movies then totally forgot about TV series.