Comcast Caps Internet Use, Says 99% Won't Notice

250 GB-limit intended to improve web quality
By Wesley Oliver,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 29, 2008 2:27 PM CDT
Comcast Caps Internet Use, Says 99% Won't Notice
Comcast, the largest US cable operator, said yesterday it will cap customers' Internet usage starting Oct. 1.   (AP Photo)

Comcast subscribers will soon have their Internet usage capped, Reuters reports. From Oct. 1, the nation’s largest cable operator will limit monthly residential data use to 250 gigabytes to improve the quality of Internet delivery. The company says up to 99% of its subscribers will be unaffected by the cap—equivalent to 50 million emails or 124 standard-definition movies.

Comcast warns that customers who exceed the limit twice in 6 months could see their service terminated for a year. The initiative comes as web use soars, and Comcast faces investigations for its attempts to curb it. A consumer group conceded that the 250-GB cap was “relatively high,” but added that improved technology could soon render it outdated. (More Comcast stories.)

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