Unlimited bandwidth is almost regarded as a universal right in the United States – and many other developed nations – but the growing demand for music, videos, and peer-to-peer traffic has left ISPs scrambling for ways to avoid excessive burdens on their networks. And unfortunately – for bandwidth hogs, at least – one idea that has been gaining traction among providers is implementing a monthly download cap and overage charges.

That’s exactly what Comcast is looking into, according to Broadband Reports. While still in the early stages of development, the plan would see users getting a 250GB per month cap. Users would not be penalized if they crossed that limit once during a 12-month period, but if they did it again, they could be charged $15 for every 10GB they go over.

Many will take issue with Comcast’s proposed download cap, but Internet billing based on usage is certainly nothing new. Broadband provider Cox already places bandwidth caps on its customers, while Time Warner Cable is considering following suit as well. At least Comcast's proposed cap – though not official yet – seems high enough for most users.