The Irrelevance of Data Caps: A Rant About ISPs and Their Cash-Grabbing Tactics
I want to start by saying that these are my own opinions, and not necessarily those of Digital Trends. I'm about to tell you how we got data caps in the first place, why they're now totally irrelevant, and how recent decisions to suspend data caps prove they're totally unnecessary and should never come back.
Not That Long Ago, Data Caps Were a Thing
I remember not that long ago, okay, it was a long time ago, I had a limited number of minutes I could use on my phone. If I went over that talk time, I had to either pay for a minutes package or pay a permanent coverage fee. Back when mobile networks weren't as robust and sometimes your call might actually not go through during peak calling times. Looking back, talk time could be considered a premium, but this is from a point in time when my phone was the size of a small brick and weighed about as much. Charging four minutes became ridiculous. What else were you paying for with a phone plan? Admin fees, connection fees – no, you pay to make calls and should get to make as many of them as you want because it's what the network is built for. Maybe paying four minutes helped build the network, but once it's up and running, you should get to use it as much as you want for a monthly fee.
A Similar Model with Mobile Data
It used to be the same with mobile data. It made sense when high-speed mobile data was super expensive to scale up and too many people choking up the pipes would seriously degrade everyone's experience. But again, the networks have been built, we paid for it with our subscriptions, and now most mobile networks offer unlimited mobile data – even if they do slow down your downstream speeds when everyone's streaming Tiger King at the same time.
How ISPs Have Been Getting Away with Data Caps
Don't get me started on charging for different speed tiers. That's just another rant altogether. I'm just blown away that somehow ISPs have been getting away with data caps. Don't get me wrong, I'm not surprised it happened – but how they managed to keep it under the radar is what's got me frustrated.
My Experience with Data Caps
I had a one terabyte data cap until recently, yes, I'm talking about Xfinity – ridiculous plan which allows me one terabyte of data and if I go over that, it blesses me with 50-gigabyte blocks for $10 each until I max out at $200. That's Xfinity generously offering an unlimited plan for an additional $50 a month and that doesn't change the speed tier – it just says sure, you can have unlimited for $50 a month, folks. I get unlimited data and calls antics on my phone for $40 that's $10 less and that's for everything I'll ever do on my phone so why am I so fired up about this? It makes no sense because it doesn't cost the ISPs extra to provide it – it's a cash grab pure and simple.
The Reason Behind Suspended Data Caps
So, how did we get to this point where most providers have suspended their data caps to allow lots more TV streaming and video conferencing for those working from home or just stuck at home during a global pandemic? Apparently, out of the goodness of their hearts – said nobody ever about Comcast or any other ISP. Most providers have suspended their data caps because supposedly, it's not an issue that it would cause problems with the network's performance.
The Networks Did It Anyway
I do know that their network engineers had to make some changes to prepare for the influx of bandwidth demands, but they did it quickly – quickly enough that most of us if not all of us didn't really notice a downgrade in service. And here we are taxing the ever-loving Netflix out of the system and we're doing just fine.
The Corporate Level Frustration
My frustration lay at the corporate level – how this age-old relic of metered internet service managed to last as long as it did is on me, but good luck putting that genie back in the bottle.
"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: endata caps are bogus I've been saying that for years but now that many data caps have been suspended supposedly as a support tool during the Cova 19 crisis I don't think they can be brought back it took a global pandemic but I think data caps are gone for good hi I'm Caleb Denison and before I get going I need to be clear that these opinions are my own and not necessarily that of Digital Trends with that all the way I'm going to tell you how we got data caps in the first place why they are now totally irrelevant and how recent decisions to suspend data caps prove they are totally unnecessary and should never come back today just about every mobile network offers unlimited calls and data plans right in fact you have to dig deep for carriers who don't and those plans don't make any financial sense but it wasn't always this way I remember not that long ago okay it was a long time ago I had a limited number of minutes I could use and if I went over that talk time I had to either pay for a minutes package or pay a permanent coverage fee back when mobile networks weren't as robust and sometimes your call might actually not go through during peak calling time I can see in retrospect that talk time could be considered a premium but this is back when my phone was the size of a small brick and weighed about as much at a certain point charging four minutes became ridiculous what else are you paying for with a phone plan admin fees connection fees no you pay to make calls and should get to make as many of them as you want because it is no burden on the network that's what it was built for maybe paying four minutes helped build the network but once it's up and running you should get to use it as much as you want for a monthly fee HBO doesn't charge for how many minutes you watch right no you watch as much as you want for 15 bucks and even that is about to get better but I digress it used to be the same with mobile data and maybe that made sense when high-speed mobile data was super expensive to scale up and too many people choking up the pipes would seriously degrade everyone's experience but again the networks have been built we paid for it with our subscriptions and now most mobile networks offer unlimited mobile data even if they do slow down your downstream speeds when everyone's streaming Tiger King at the same time so how in the name of Carroll Baskin have ISPs been getting away with data caps don't get me started on charging for different speed tiers either that's just another rant altogether I'm just blown away that somehow data caps are still a thing especially in a market like mine where broadband is readily available in some cases through multiple providers and then there are areas where the best internet available comes via light and is as slow as a pregnant tortoise and yet somehow they have data caps on a service they should probably be paying you to put up with they definitely should not be penalizing you for downloading too many photos that much for crying out loud anyway somehow ISPs have sailed under the radar here I have well I had a one terabyte data cap until not too recently yes I'm talking about Xfinity ridiculous plan which allows me one terabyte of data and if I go over that it blesses me with 50 gigabyte blocks which it adds for $10 each until i max out at $200 $200 or Xfinity generously offers an unlimited plan for an additional $50 a month and that doesn't change the speed tier it just says sure you can have unlimited for 50 bucks a month folks I get unlimited data and calls antics on my phone for 40 bucks that's $10 less and that's for everything I will ever do on my phone so why am I so fired up about this because it's a loan a horse look it makes no sense because it doesn't cost the ISPs extra to provide it it's a cash grab pure and simple how do we know this well because supposedly out of the goodness of their hearts said nobody ever about Comcast or any other ISP for that matter most providers have suspended their data caps to allow lots more TV streaming and video conferencing for those working from home or just straight stuck at home during a global pandemic see it was possible all this time and the network's haven't come crashing down in fact we're using more data through our home internet connections than ever in history and they're holding pretty steady now I'm not saying the networks didn't have to turn a few things on to put it as non technically as possible I do know their network engineers had to make some changes to prepare for the influx of bandwidth demands but they did it quickly quickly enough that most of us if not all of us didn't really notice a downgrade in service and here we are taxing the ever-loving Netflix out of the system and we're doing just fine I think the engineers who made that happen and the text who are helping folks keep their internet running sometimes by having to enter a home which could be risky my frustration lay at the corporate level how this age-old relic of metered internet service managed to last this long is on me but good luck putting that genie back in the bottledata caps are bogus I've been saying that for years but now that many data caps have been suspended supposedly as a support tool during the Cova 19 crisis I don't think they can be brought back it took a global pandemic but I think data caps are gone for good hi I'm Caleb Denison and before I get going I need to be clear that these opinions are my own and not necessarily that of Digital Trends with that all the way I'm going to tell you how we got data caps in the first place why they are now totally irrelevant and how recent decisions to suspend data caps prove they are totally unnecessary and should never come back today just about every mobile network offers unlimited calls and data plans right in fact you have to dig deep for carriers who don't and those plans don't make any financial sense but it wasn't always this way I remember not that long ago okay it was a long time ago I had a limited number of minutes I could use and if I went over that talk time I had to either pay for a minutes package or pay a permanent coverage fee back when mobile networks weren't as robust and sometimes your call might actually not go through during peak calling time I can see in retrospect that talk time could be considered a premium but this is back when my phone was the size of a small brick and weighed about as much at a certain point charging four minutes became ridiculous what else are you paying for with a phone plan admin fees connection fees no you pay to make calls and should get to make as many of them as you want because it is no burden on the network that's what it was built for maybe paying four minutes helped build the network but once it's up and running you should get to use it as much as you want for a monthly fee HBO doesn't charge for how many minutes you watch right no you watch as much as you want for 15 bucks and even that is about to get better but I digress it used to be the same with mobile data and maybe that made sense when high-speed mobile data was super expensive to scale up and too many people choking up the pipes would seriously degrade everyone's experience but again the networks have been built we paid for it with our subscriptions and now most mobile networks offer unlimited mobile data even if they do slow down your downstream speeds when everyone's streaming Tiger King at the same time so how in the name of Carroll Baskin have ISPs been getting away with data caps don't get me started on charging for different speed tiers either that's just another rant altogether I'm just blown away that somehow data caps are still a thing especially in a market like mine where broadband is readily available in some cases through multiple providers and then there are areas where the best internet available comes via light and is as slow as a pregnant tortoise and yet somehow they have data caps on a service they should probably be paying you to put up with they definitely should not be penalizing you for downloading too many photos that much for crying out loud anyway somehow ISPs have sailed under the radar here I have well I had a one terabyte data cap until not too recently yes I'm talking about Xfinity ridiculous plan which allows me one terabyte of data and if I go over that it blesses me with 50 gigabyte blocks which it adds for $10 each until i max out at $200 $200 or Xfinity generously offers an unlimited plan for an additional $50 a month and that doesn't change the speed tier it just says sure you can have unlimited for 50 bucks a month folks I get unlimited data and calls antics on my phone for 40 bucks that's $10 less and that's for everything I will ever do on my phone so why am I so fired up about this because it's a loan a horse look it makes no sense because it doesn't cost the ISPs extra to provide it it's a cash grab pure and simple how do we know this well because supposedly out of the goodness of their hearts said nobody ever about Comcast or any other ISP for that matter most providers have suspended their data caps to allow lots more TV streaming and video conferencing for those working from home or just straight stuck at home during a global pandemic see it was possible all this time and the network's haven't come crashing down in fact we're using more data through our home internet connections than ever in history and they're holding pretty steady now I'm not saying the networks didn't have to turn a few things on to put it as non technically as possible I do know their network engineers had to make some changes to prepare for the influx of bandwidth demands but they did it quickly quickly enough that most of us if not all of us didn't really notice a downgrade in service and here we are taxing the ever-loving Netflix out of the system and we're doing just fine I think the engineers who made that happen and the text who are helping folks keep their internet running sometimes by having to enter a home which could be risky my frustration lay at the corporate level how this age-old relic of metered internet service managed to last this long is on me but good luck putting that genie back in the bottle\n"
