Comcast Cuts Internet Service to Bandwidth Hogs

[EV_Ares]

Shutting Down Big Downloaders By Kim Hart; Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, September 7, 2007; Page A01

The rapid growth of online videos, music and games has created a new Internet sin: using it too much.

Comcast has punished some transgressors by cutting off their Internet service, arguing that excessive downloaders hog Internet capacity and slow down the network for other customers. The company declines to reveal its download limits.

"You have no way of knowing how much is too much," said Sandra Spalletta of Rockville, whose Internet service was suspended in March after Comcast sent her a letter warning that she and her teenage son were using too much bandwidth. They cut back on downloads but were still disconnected. She said the company would not tell her how to monitor their bandwidth use in order to comply with the limits.

"You want to think you can rely on your home Internet service and not wake up one morning to find it turned off," said Spalletta, who filed a complaint with the Montgomery County Office of Cable and Communication Services. "I thought it was unlimited service."

As Internet service providers try to keep up with the demand for increasingly sophisticated online entertainment such as high-definition movies, streaming TV shows and interactive games, such caps could become more common, some analysts said.

It's unclear how many customers have lost Internet service because of overuse. So far, only Comcast customers have reported being affected. Comcast said only a small fraction of its customers use enough bandwidth to warrant pulling the plug on their service.

(rest of article @ link)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/06/AR2007090602545.html?hpid%3Dtopnews&sub=AR

[LibertyLover]

1. We used to have Comcast cable and internet

and it was pretty wretched. The router for the internet never worked properly, even though Comcast installed it, and we regularly were without internet service for hours and days. The basic cable channel selections were a joke and unless you paid for the high-end service you received a bunch of crappy channels. We switched to Verizon FiOS about 6 months ago and are much happier. We have just the basic service and, after a few startup hiccups, it has been very reliable.

[Wiley50]

4. I Use A Verizon Cell Modem (Broadband/Natioinal Access)

And I'm online 27/7 on DU and streaming Air America

I get it through my ex-wife who is a Verizon CSR
(one of her employee discounted lines)


She's warned me about using too much

But I fall asleep listening to the radio

Does streaming radio use too much bandwidth?

[LibertyLover]

6. I have no idea - we don't use streaming radio

Perhaps someone else more savvy can answer that question.

[liberaldemocrat7]

2. Dump any service provider that shuts off your service due to download limits.

That appears one reason I will not sign up with cablevision.

The other involves having to share bandwidth in the immedicate neighborhood, where DSL and Verizon FIOS will not have that problem.

[Tesha]

3. Comcast broadband basically blows.

Comcast broadband basically blows.

Every evening, we spend most of the evening watching
connection attempts fail (time out). And we haven't
seen the "activity" LED on our cable modem go out for
months; in other words, there's no spare bandwidth
left on our "shared bandwidth" cable connection.

We'd dump Comcast in a heartbeat if we had any
alternative, but we can't even get DSL, let alone
FIOS.

I guess it's time to call Comcast and have another
pointless conversation with their customer disservice
reps...

Tesha

[Eurobabe]

5. It's ComC-ASS-Tic!!!

Phuck ComC-Assed, bastards.