The FCC wants to know why data caps are still a thing in 2023

[Jimmy2x]

Why it matters: From social media and content streaming to telework, file-sharing, and e-mail, the amount of data the average household uses is increasing annually. Despite that rise, many broadband providers have data caps restricting user connectivity. Unfortunately for those providers, the practice has drawn the attention of the Federal Communications Commission.

Consumer data consumption has increased exponentially in a little over a decade. According to broadband insight reports from OpenVault, monthly household data usage has skyrocketed from an average of 9 GB per month in 2010 to more than 587 GB per month in 2023. The increase marks an eye-watering 6,422% increase in the past 13 years.

Despite this growth, some providers continue to limit the amount of "unlimited data" that customers can use before connections are throttled or, in some cases, even disabled. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) noticed these practices and is taking steps to begin gathering the data necessary to understand why this is necessary.

Chairwoman @JRosenworcelFCC called on the support of her fellow Commissioners to move forward a proposal to learn more about how broadband providers use data caps on consumer plans. https://t.co/bBIf2RiCmm

– The FCC (@FCC) June 15, 2023

The FCC wants to understand why data caps are needed, evaluate the impact on broadband consumers, and determine whether action is required to ensure future data caps do not harm provider competition or consumers' access to services. It acknowledges that some providers removed or delayed their data caps in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent increase in home broadband usage. However, some ISPs either continued imposing caps or intend to enact/reenact them with the pandemic's passing.

Additionally, the FCC wants feedback, stories, and information from consumers describing how these data caps affect their lives and livelihood. Consumers can complete the new Data Caps Experience Form to provide the Commission with valuable first-hand information on the impact of these caps, focusing on their effects on consumers with disabilities, low-income consumers, and historically disadvantaged communities with limited access to online education, telehealth, and remote work options.

The @FCC opened a new portal for consumers to share how data caps have affected their access to broadband to help the agency understand their impact on consumers. Share stories here: https://t.co/tqzFZEPaIu.

– The FCC (@FCC) June 15, 2023

Commission Chair Jessica Rosenworcel believes internet access is a required service, not a luxury, for users worldwide.

"As we emerge from the pandemic, there are many lessons to learn about what worked and what didn't work, especially around what it takes to keep us all connected," Rosenworcel said. "When we need access to the internet, we aren't thinking about how much data it takes to complete a task, we just know it needs to get done. It's time the FCC take a fresh look at how data caps impact consumers and competition."

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/99113-fcc-wants-know-why-data-caps-thing-2023.html

 

[Mark Fuller]

I am a heavy internet user, any specs on simple mobile or tmobile's use of data caps?

 

[Trapped Nowhere]

Someone's family member must've hit the cap and got charged extra

 

[schinbone]

This discussion is an example of how much money our elected officials are raking in. The internet should be considered a utility. Kids need it for school, people are working from home. This of course, will take years of court battles to achieve though.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

They're a thing because you guys refuse to do your jobs. You wont regulate the telecoms like utilities, you wont demand local loop unbundling, and you wont ensure that telecoms use the grants they receive to build out their network to actually build anything.

 

[mcnabney]

They're a thing because you guys refuse to do your jobs. You wont regulate the telecoms like utilities, you wont demand local loop unbundling, and you wont ensure that telecoms use the grants they receive to build out their network to actually build anything.

Whelp, this thread is done now. Everything has been covered. Nothing is going to change, but at least readers now know how things should have been.

 

[yRaz]

The cost of data isn't zero, however, it's pretty close to it especially when it gets sold to advertisers. My $100/m internet plan should not have a data cap.

Cell data, sort of a different story. I've been in congested areas where my signal was constantly dropped but at that point, no one was using data

 

[Carlos GarPov]

Hope they eliminate data caps everywhere!

 

[Mark Fuller]

They won't, its like when you subscribe to cable or satellite, you have to take their lineup for all of the channels and pay for them, you can't get a custom lineup where you can pay for just the channels you want.

 

[toooooot]

Comcast has a professionally written paper and a thick envelope for FCC.

 

[Kam7r]

About time... I pity you from the other side of the pond to suffer those pre-2000 limitations we got rid of since a very very long time... I hope you'll get a win all of you, US consumers, at least this time...
I pay 49€ for my 2gb/1gb and can have 500/500mb for 16.99€ ... all without any caps because data caps don't even exist here... and it's not even the cheaper ones...

 

[yRaz]

About time... I pity you from the other side of the pond to suffer those pre-2000 limitations we got rid of since a very very long time... I hope you'll get a win all of you, US consumers, at least this time...
I pay 49€ for my 2gb/1gb and can have 500/500mb for 16.99€ ... all without any caps because data caps don't even exist here... and it's not even the cheaper ones...

Data caps weren't really a thing before. Telecoms looked at Cell companies and thought "hey, they're charging for data caps, why can't we charge for data caps on our land lines?" Data caps weren't really a thing until like 2010-2012.

 

[NicktheWVAHick]

How is this even a question? The answer is obvious. It begins with an “$”, ends with an “$” and has an “$” in the middle.

 

[Kam7r]

Data caps weren't really a thing before. Telecoms looked at Cell companies and thought "hey, they're charging for data caps, why can't we charge for data caps on our land lines?" Data caps weren't really a thing until like 2010-2012.

srsly ?! that's even worse, it's a regression then ... really sry for you guys

 

[RudyBob]

This stuff ain't free...like a college education...ha ha ha ha ha

 

[d5aqoep]

What happened to that sellout guy Ajit Pai?

 

[toooooot]

Someone's family member must've hit the cap and got charged extra

50gb for $10 at Comcast. And that is when they decided to download entire game library to a new computer...

 

[Durch]

I am a heavy internet user, any specs on simple mobile or tmobile's use of data caps?

T-Mobile has unlimited data.

 

[p51d007]

This discussion is an example of how much money our elected officials are raking in. The internet should be considered a utility. Kids need it for school, people are working from home. This of course, will take years of court battles to achieve though.

Yeah, but "give it to the government" and it will fall apart in about 30 days!

 

[someOtherGuy]

Data caps weren't really a thing before. Telecoms looked at Cell companies and thought "hey, they're charging for data caps, why can't we charge for data caps on our land lines?" Data caps weren't really a thing until like 2010-2012.

That sounds pretty naive: data caps are about shared resources, like DOCSIS or GSM/CDMA networks. On shared networks the available bandwidth is (or should be) WAY higher than a single user's contracted speed. Such speed is then "estimated" to be enough based on use patterns an a lot of probabilities calculations, that's why you get a "sweet" deal with them. Every time you try to get a dedicated bandwidth or a commitment, you'll see that the prices go up real quick. The whole point of data caps is to control the hoarders, since most of the time, on a correctly configured network, "regular users" won't hit such cap. Still sucks from a user experience perspective, for some people, but from a business perspective, is not "pure greed".

 

[yRaz]

That sounds pretty naive: data caps are about shared resources, like DOCSIS or GSM/CDMA networks. On shared networks the available bandwidth is (or should be) WAY higher than a single user's contracted speed. Such speed is then "estimated" to be enough based on use patterns an a lot of probabilities calculations, that's why you get a "sweet" deal with them. Every time you try to get a dedicated bandwidth or a commitment, you'll see that the prices go up real quick. The whole point of data caps is to control the hoarders, since most of the time, on a correctly configured network, "regular users" won't hit such cap. Still sucks from a user experience perspective, for some people, but from a business perspective, is not "pure greed".

here's a thought, maybe companies shouldn't be over selling their bandwidth capabilities? I could go through my 1TB data cap in a few hours on with my 2gigabit connection. How many games is that? Am I "hording" data if I use half my monthly bandwidth by installing Starfield on 4 computers in my house? I guess I could use a jump drive to copy and paste data, but I'm not paying $130/m for internet to use a jump drive.

Here's another question, why does the 25mbps plan have the same 1TB data cap as the 2gbps plan?

 

[Neatfeatguy]

srsly ?! that's even worse, it's a regression then ... really sry for you guys

It's no different than companies witnessing all the stupid people that will literally throw money at micro transactions, now they want to implement similar fees. Look at the car dealerships that are putting things behind a paywall.

Oh, you have heated seats built into your car? Awesome!
No, not awesome, unless you're willing pay that extra $ every month to RENT the ability to use something that's already installed in your car and that you paid for.

95% of consumers are stupid and don't understand how their horrible purchasing practices are impacting everything else around them.

 

[wiyosaya]

They're a thing because you guys refuse to do your jobs. You wont regulate the telecoms like utilities, you wont demand local loop unbundling, and you wont ensure that telecoms use the grants they receive to build out their network to actually build anything.

You can thank Ash!t Pai for that. You do know who hired him, don't you?

IMO, its about time someone started asking the right people the right questions instead of pretending that all these crap ISPs will just do the right thing.

EDIT: spelling

 

[Soulburn74]

I am a heavy internet user, any specs on simple mobile or tmobile's use of data caps?

I don't have t-mobile for home internet service, but I do for phone. I've hit the cap once, and just as I suspected the whole line about "During busy network activity, we MAY slow you to a crawl once you hit your cap", was just their way of not getting sued for saying its unlimited, when its not.......as the MOMENT, I hit the cap, got slowed down to nearly unusable speed....... I hope this FCC inquiry is for ISP's and PHONE service, as its truly ridiculous how in this day and age, they can legally advertise "unlimited" service, when it truly isn't. I mean if you have multiple different types of "unlimited" doesn't that in it of itself PROVE, NONE of them are unlimited plans? Its just pure price gouging at its finest. Thank heavens the spectrum service in my area is truly unlimited, if I had an ISP that wasn't unlimited, I'd strongly consider moving......

 

[Gastec]

"Consumer data consumption" (sic)
"evaluate the impact on broadband consumers"
"provider competition or consumers' access to services"
"the FCC wants feedback, stories, and information from consumers"
"Consumers can complete"
"their effects on consumers with disabilities, low-income consumers"
"It's time the FCC take a fresh look at how data caps impact consumers and competition"

WE are citizens, users and CLIENTS, for crying out loud!