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Comcast to restrict monthly broadband use

In a continued trend of restrictions from Comcast Cable, they've recently announced that they will soon be cracking down on excessive use of their Internet service. Starting October 1st, residential users who download and/or upload more than 250 GB of data each month will be asked to curb their usage. If that usage is exceeded a second time, they face account termination.

Of course this opens up the floodgates for criticism from many customers of the largest cable company and the second largest Internet provider in the US. Will this move ultimately mean the break-up of the company's cable internet monopoly? This move makes about as much sense to us as if the government started blocking semi-trucks from driving too much, instead of making more roads and lanes.



To be fair though, what exactly would 250 GB of data actually entail? In the list below you'll see that it's a pretty hefty limit, and a normal everyday online gamer such as you or I would never exceed this, but with the future of streaming video and higher-quality online content, it seems Comcast should look forward to advancing their service instead of restricting it.

To approach the monthly limit Comcast is placing on its Internet users, you would have to do one of the following:

  • Send 50 million e-mails

  • Download 62,500 songs

  • Download 125 standard-definition movies

  • Upload 25,000 high-resolution digital photos