Not so fast, broadband providers tell big users

Boston Globe ^ | 12 March 2007 | Carolyn Y. Johnson

[Fractal Trader]

Amanda Lee of Cambridge received a call from Comcast Corp. in December ordering her to curtail her Web use or lose her high-speed Internet connection for a year.

Lee, who said she had been using the same broadband connection for years without a problem, was taken aback. But when she asked what the download limit was, she was told there was no limit, that she was just downloading too much.

Then in mid-February, her Internet service was cut off without further warning.

For Lee and an increasing number of people, a high-speed Internet connection is a lifeline to everyday entertainment and communication. Television networks are posting shows online; retailers are lining up to offer music and movie downloads; thousands of Internet radio stations stream music; more people are using WiFi phones; and "over the top TV," in which channels stream over the Internet, is predicted to grow.

That means that more customers may become familiar with Comcast's little-known acceptable-use policy, which allows the company to cut off service to customers who use the Internet too much. Comcast says that only .01 percent of its 11.5 million residential high-speed Internet customers fall into this category.

"Comcast has a responsibility to provide these customers with a superior experience and to address any excessive usage issues that may impact that experience," Comcast spokeswoman Shawn Feddeman said in a statement. "The few customers who are notified of excessive use typically consume exponentially more bandwidth than the average user."

[Lx]

I had that experience when I first got Comcast. For the first two months it was down at least once a week or more. They finally got better. I used to cycle my router daily so I'd get a new IP address after I changed the MAC address of the router.
Even then it got hammered from everyone and their brother who had an IP scanner.

[mysterio]

For the price they charge, my ISP had better not be messing with anyone about downloads.

[Noumenon]

'Fair Access' or ' Acceptable Use' policies have always bee na factor for satellite-based Internet services. I've summarized those policies here. Given the trend towards increasing use of on-demand TV, movies and other entertainment via the Internet, it was only a matter of time before the nasty little fine print in ISPs customer service agreements began to surface. All of my customers get a briefing on the FAP for whatever service they choose. And I have to say that for most of them, it isn't an issue.

What most folks don't get is that bandwidth, like health care isn't free. Someone, somewhere, sometime has to pay for it.

[Noumenon]

Since Time-Warner took over Adelphia in this area (Spokane-CDA), people have been dropping them in increasing numbers, if my my sales and the number of phone calls I've been getting are any indication.

The common theme - service outages and lousy customer service. Who'da thunk that satellite could prove more consistent and reliable?

[goldstategop]

I'd get an attorney to file a class action lawsuit against Comcast. "Unlimited" means exactly what the dictionary usage means. If Comcast thinks that too much, they can change their Internet usage policy but they may not extort, deceive and mislead their customers by fraudulently imposing limits where there are none.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[UpToHere]

I don't use comcast, but I have been thinking about using Concast. Tell you what, I will not use Comcast, thus will sell my "broadband offsets" to high band usage people. Now you can be "high usage" neutral. Is a buck-a-byte ok?

Al

[Noumenon]

Comcast doesn't care. They think that it's your responsibility. For most of these outfits, Internet access is something of a loss-leader. Despite the fees they charge, they don't make that much on ISP services compared to the real golden calf: TV and POTS (plain old telephone service). The bottom line is that most of these cable and DSL providers don't want to make the investment in the infrastructure that would make their networks more secure and more manageable. Network management - what a concept.

[goldstategop]

I don't mind paying for it. But I expect a company to treat its customers honestly. If they use deception and don't deliver on their end of the agreement, the customer has rights too. Like I said, if its costing them money, by all means change the usage policy. But don't tell a customer they have unlimited bandwidth and then revoke or limit that through fine print via the back door. I wouldn't think well of any one who dealt with me in a such an underhanded fashion. If someone makes a promise in writing, I expect it to be kept.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[Dallas59]

Back in 99 I had "primitive" DSL from a start up ISP. One month my bill shot up from $55 a month to $289. When I called to ask why, I was told I was being charged for going over the 5 gig limit per month. I payed and then stopped the service. They didn't like it. After six phone calls in a week asking me why I left, I told them not to call the my house again or they would be talking to a lawyer. I can live without the net....they can't live without me and others....you don't make MONEY when you dis customers...

[July 4th]

If your Internet is down, your telephone is down -- no way to call for service...

PS -- I'm technical -- I always wonder what the non-technical do?

I'm technical as well, and continue to keep a landline. Broadband reliability (for both uptime and network speed) just isn't "there" yet.

[JRios1968]

You're "technical", and you state the following:

They recommend I reset my modem (whatever that box is) weekly to avoid a repeat.

I don't buy it. If you really are "technical,' you know full well what the modem is, how it works, and how to reset it (and why.)

Granted, you shouldn't have to reset it with any frequency, but that's besides the point.

BTW, when we moved from Northern to Southern California, we went from Comcast to Adelphia, then Roadrunner (Time Warner.) The difference is dramatic.

[Domicile of Doom]

Adelphia, hah, those guys tried to hire me once. They wanted me to move my family up to NoWhere, Pennsylvania. Glad I didn't go. Of course I was working for Worldcom at the time, so not much better. Good thing I left there and moved back to Houston and got a job with the Enron Communications department.......drum roll please...

[ByDesign]

If you read over at DSLreports, the limit is 200g a month, which some people got out of Comcast finally. With the new download services from Netflix and others, this limit will be tested fast, along with Skype users and the bootleggers - just browsing the files that are available, downloading a full 4-8gig dvd is now no big deal, and there's a growing market of illegal Blueray and HD offerings, and XBox and Playstation3 games.

The illegal bandwidth users have been around forever, but the Internet is now officially peoples primary ebtertainment source, and ISPs either have to upgrade or start pricing differently to allow for more bandwidth. Fibre is going to KILL Comcast if they can't compete, it's a small rollout so far but the people that have it RAVE.

I have Comcast broadband, but DirectTV for television, as Comcast horribly compresses the image. When it's up, it's great. They boosted speeds this year, and I get great connections.

When it's bad...it's bad. Two summers in a row now, it will go out for a few minutes to a few hours every other day. All winter it's fine, but as soon as Spring hits, it gets crappy. Multiple calls to them with the response that they don't know what the issue is. (Pleasant Hill Walnut Creek CA area). I have a Comcast technician living in the building, he has no clue why it's so bad (or can't say why).

I use my broadband for business, and for pleasure, and I would probably be considered a medium user, in that I don't download more than 10gs a month. I DO use it for World Of Warcraft tho, and the outages are insanely frustrating. I don't even bother with tech support, as I'll get someone in India who doesn't have any idea of what's going on, and the stock response is "wait 24 hours and if it's still broken call back".

Meh. This service is NOT cheap.

But, there's no real alternative here, but I'm keeping an eye on wireless cards and the prices, if Verizon comes out with just a little more speed and a little more cheaper price, I'm firing Comcast. DSL? Been there, done that, refuse to pay PacBell a dime for service, I wasted months of my time over their screwups.

I can only hope fibre hits my area someday...

[Noumenon]

Taht's the problem with most of these outfits. They know very well that if they were up front and specific about their acceptable use policies, people would be far less willing to pay for it. It's human nature - we don't like to hear that there are linits to what we're buying, and that 'unlimited' word is a real sign-me-up item.

So comcast and the others either bury their references to FAP/AUP in tiny fine print, or they fail to state it at all. In either case, it's dishonest. StarBand, for example, stated that they had and AUP, but they never said what it was for more than three years. Nor did they ever provide tools to allow you to monitor your usage.

My take on this is that if you're going to impose limits, you need to state clearly what those limits are and that you must also provide the end user with a tool to monitor their usage.

[Centurion2000]

They recommend I reset my modem (whatever that box is) ... PS -- I'm technical -- I always wonder what the non-technical do?

If you are not familiar with modem or router terminology ... no, you're not really technical.

[Old Professer]

It only takes one rope to hang you.

[New Perspective]

[Beckwith]

don't buy it. If you really are "technical,' you know full well what the modem is, how it works, and how to reset it

I was waiting for one of the Freeper smart asses to say this and I frankly don't give a damn whether you "buy it" or not.

I spent 43 years in IT -- I've run some of the largest projects on the planet (NASA, DoD, DoT, etc.), am published (multiple titles) and have taught at 5 prestigious university garduate schools.

If I don't know how to respond to unknown symptoms and if I haven't been informed of the underlying problem, how would you, Mr. Genius, expect me to respond?

There are so many vendors and so much software and hardware involved in the Internet it's impossible to divine what the problem is. Now that I have experienced the problem, provided a real solution, I know how to respond.

But then again, you're young and full of hubris and criticism.

[JRios1968]

Let's take your statements one by one, shall we?

I frankly don't give a damn whether you "buy it" or not.
You, obviously, DO give a damn about it, otherwise you wouldn't have responded. Lighten up, Francis, you made a statement about how "technical" you are (whatever that means, following a statement that gave the lie to that "the 'modem,' whatever that is.') So I caught you in a lie or a contradiction, deal with it.

I spent 43 years in IT -- I've run some of the largest projects on the planet (NASA, DoD, DoT, etc.), am published (multiple titles) and have taught at 5 prestigious university garduate schools.
Congratulations, would you like a cookie, together with a spelling lesson? The key point here is "43 years in IT." It tells me you are from the generation that designed Apollo using slide rules (if not an abacus...) Still, I would suppose in 43+ years you would have heard of a modem, and likely saw one in operation.

If I don't know how to respond to unknown symptoms and if I haven't been informed of the underlying problem, how would you, Mr. Genius, expect me to respond?
Oh, I don't know...maybe by ASKING questions, Mr NASA-dude? Of course, since I am not published and never got to work with NASA, I guess I am out of line with such an impertinent suggestion...

There are so many vendors and so much software and hardware involved in the Internet it's impossible to divine what the problem is. Now that I have experienced the problem, provided a real solution, I know how to respond.
Since when is a suggestion to recycle something as basic as a cable modem a vendor-specific issue? Enough said about that statement...

But then again, you're young and full of hubris and criticism.
Yes, I am young, and yet I was able to quickly diagnose that your 43 years in IT taught you exactly nothing. Computers have progressed, in case you haven't. Your unfettered arrogance about computer and information technology is laughable, seeing your ignorance of what a modem is. I am sure your slide rule will keep you warm tonight.

[Psycho_Bunny]

A couple weeks ago, Qwest yanked my 5 megabit aDSL connection.  No call.  No letter and no explanation.

Although I have been given a new connection at the same speed - without any hassle - I lost my SMTP account and my webspace as they "no longer offer those services" for residential customers.

I STILL don't know what the hell happened.