Comcast Pulls the Plug On Heavy Internet Users - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Zoneboy · 09-09-2007, 03:10 AM

Link

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Several Internet users in the United States have been unplugged by their service provider because they download too much, a press report said here Friday.

Cable Internet and entertainment provider Comcast has punished some transgressors by cutting off their Internet service, arguing that excessive downloaders hog Internet capacity and slow down the network for other customers, the Washington Post reported.

Comcast spokesman Charlie Douglas told AFP the company was addressing "the problem of abusive activity that adversely impacts on everybody else's experience."

"I can't give you a number" for clients who have been disconnected, said Douglas, while assuring that customers whose plugs were pulled are "very rare."

According to the Washington Post, a customer would have to download the equivalent of 1,000 songs or four feature films a day to trigger a disconnection warning.

Comcast gives customers a month to fix problems or upgrade their service before they are disconnected, the Washington Post said.

An unplugged client in Rockville, a suburb of Washington, has filed a complaint with the county he lives in, saying his contract with his service provider states that he is entitled to unlimited Internet access, officials in Montgomery County said.

A recent report by the ABI market research company warned that the growth in demand for "bandwidth-hungry services such as HDTV and online gaming is leading to a critical lack of capacity" in US cable operators' networks.

"Cable TV operators trying to satisfy the increasing bandwidth demands of HDTV customers feel very much like the thrifty grocer who tried to cram ten pounds of potatoes into a five-pound bag," ABI research director Stan Schatt said last month.

"The increasing bandwidth demands on cable operators will soon reach crisis stage, yet this is a dirty little industry secret that no one talks about."

TJL · 09-09-2007, 05:46 AM

Unbelievable.

So if I spend the whole day downloading a whole bunch of not porn videos which are not porn and other information again not pornthat is totally free for me to look at seriously not pornmy internet provider will cut me off for hogging the internet?

That sucks!

I am Roboto · 09-09-2007, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TJL

Unbelievable.

So if I spend the whole day downloading a whole bunch of not porn videos which are not porn and other information again not pornthat is totally free for me to look at seriously not pornmy internet provider will cut me off for hogging the internet?

That sucks!

Silly TJL, the internet is for porn.

And yes that's a safe for work link (and quite funny).

back ot - Comcast disappoints me in so so many ways. They are the AOL of internet service providers. I can't wait to get FiOS.

Stormtracker TF · 09-09-2007, 05:50 PM

I dislike Comcast. Too bad my parents insist on using it.

theshark8777 · 09-09-2007, 06:17 PM

Someone say porn?

Mikado · 09-09-2007, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theshark8777

Someone say porn?

No, i said Corn!

Ireneparalegal · 09-09-2007, 07:38 PM

french porn or french horn?

Brent88 · 09-09-2007, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mikado

No, i said Corn!

Chelsea · 09-09-2007, 09:34 PM

Rip Torn?

Zoneboy · 09-09-2007, 09:35 PM

Ireneparalegal · 09-09-2007, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TJL

Unbelievable.

So if I spend the whole day downloading a whole bunch of not porn videos which are not porn and other information again not pornthat is totally free for me to look at seriously not pornmy internet provider will cut me off for hogging the internet?

That sucks!

Allergic to cats...but not to porn huh?

Ok back on topic.

catlover79 · 09-09-2007, 10:45 PM

No comment.

Hollow · 09-09-2007, 10:51 PM

that's called not being selfish.

I am Roboto · 09-10-2007, 04:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by safety pin

that's called not being selfish.

Comcast is the first and only cable ISP that limits bandwidth and doesn't tell you the limit. This is probably good in a way since from what I've heard its based on the local node capacity and that will vary from place to place, but it should be noted more up front I think.

To my knowledge, Comcast is also only one of two US Cable ISPs that limit bandwidth (Cox does too, but Cox also provides up front usage quotas) & they are the only ISP that actively tries to foul up P2P & make it less attractive, they dont just block ports, they actively work to make your upload abilities suck.

But thats not what pisses me off the most about them since amazingly I never hit their limits - its the crappy and largely overpriced service and the stagnant speed rates (I know some of you are thinking its broadband?? What do you mean - well Comcast's top mainstream residential tier - not new test areas they've had to install due to FiOS - is 8mbps/768KBps) Verizon FiOS sells for about 10 bucks less than Comcast per month can can have speeds as fast as 20/2 - again the most common tier, some markets have as much as 50/5) That used to be one of the main arguments for cable vs alternatives - it was faster, now, even ADSL is catching up - Verizon has 6/768 rates at competitive rates, and where DSL isn't as fast, it can be as cheap as $10/mo, less than many dial-up providers. As for the aforementioned service, this was previously an Adelphia cable area. Service was good, speeds were fine. COmcast took over and managed to screw it up. It's never been the same. They had the same damn cable infrastructure and they managed to decrease quality. Meh

</rant>

09-09-2007, 03:10 AM	#1
Zoneboy RIP, I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU :( Moderator Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 13, 2003 Location: AT HOME WISHING ALL THIS WAS JUST A DREAM AND THAT I'LL WAKE UP FROM THIS NIGHTMARE. Posts: 34,434	Comcast Pulls the Plug On Heavy Internet Users Link WASHINGTON (AFP) - Several Internet users in the United States have been unplugged by their service provider because they download too much, a press report said here Friday. Cable Internet and entertainment provider Comcast has punished some transgressors by cutting off their Internet service, arguing that excessive downloaders hog Internet capacity and slow down the network for other customers, the Washington Post reported. Comcast spokesman Charlie Douglas told AFP the company was addressing "the problem of abusive activity that adversely impacts on everybody else's experience." "I can't give you a number" for clients who have been disconnected, said Douglas, while assuring that customers whose plugs were pulled are "very rare." According to the Washington Post, a customer would have to download the equivalent of 1,000 songs or four feature films a day to trigger a disconnection warning. Comcast gives customers a month to fix problems or upgrade their service before they are disconnected, the Washington Post said. An unplugged client in Rockville, a suburb of Washington, has filed a complaint with the county he lives in, saying his contract with his service provider states that he is entitled to unlimited Internet access, officials in Montgomery County said. A recent report by the ABI market research company warned that the growth in demand for "bandwidth-hungry services such as HDTV and online gaming is leading to a critical lack of capacity" in US cable operators' networks. "Cable TV operators trying to satisfy the increasing bandwidth demands of HDTV customers feel very much like the thrifty grocer who tried to cram ten pounds of potatoes into a five-pound bag," ABI research director Stan Schatt said last month. "The increasing bandwidth demands on cable operators will soon reach crisis stage, yet this is a dirty little industry secret that no one talks about."
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09-09-2007, 05:46 AM	#2
TJL Suburbanite Extrordinaire Forum Star Join Date: Dec 29, 2001 Location: New Jersey - the cradle of civilization Posts: 16,588	Unbelievable. So if I spend the whole day downloading a whole bunch of not porn videos which are not porn and other information again not pornthat is totally free for me to look at seriously not pornmy internet provider will cut me off for hogging the internet? That sucks!
	__________________ "I think I'll stroll up to the front to see how the shooting's going..." - Capt. Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce Read my blogs! http://centralparkamisguide.com/ http://dvdcriticscorner.com Visit me on Facebook!http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=641138880 Hey, I do the tweet thing too! http://twitter.com/TomLevier My shop of handmade items! http://www.etsy.com/shop/ColdGarageCreations

09-09-2007, 05:50 PM	#4
Stormtracker TF Happy Easter! Moderator Forum Idol Join Date: Jul 19, 2002 Location: Detroit, Michigan Posts: 102,598	I dislike Comcast. Too bad my parents insist on using it.
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09-09-2007, 06:17 PM	#5
theshark8777 Hats for Bats Forum Veteran Join Date: Jan 23, 2001 Location: northeast Ohio. Posts: 5,315	Someone say porn?
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09-09-2007, 07:38 PM	#7
Ireneparalegal LEGAL SPICE ;) Forum Legend Join Date: Jul 25, 2005 Location: OXNARD, CA - WHERE THE DALLAS COWBOYS TRAIN & PRACTICE Posts: 38,691	french porn or french horn? Attached Images
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09-09-2007, 09:34 PM	#9
Chelsea Semi-retired Forum Veteran Join Date: Jan 07, 2001 Location: Washington Posts: 5,727	Rip Torn?
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09-09-2007, 09:35 PM	#10
Zoneboy RIP, I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU :( Moderator Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 13, 2003 Location: AT HOME WISHING ALL THIS WAS JUST A DREAM AND THAT I'LL WAKE UP FROM THIS NIGHTMARE. Posts: 34,434

09-09-2007, 10:45 PM	#12
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,392	No comment.
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09-09-2007, 10:51 PM	#13
Hollow Member Forum Superstar Join Date: Dec 16, 2001 Posts: 30,406	that's called not being selfish.