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Small ISP cancels data caps permanently after reviewing pandemic usage:
The coronavirus pandemic caused big ISPs to put data caps on hold for a few months, but one small ISP is going a big step further and canceling the arbitrary monthly limits permanently. Antietam Broadband, which serves Washington County in Maryland, announced Friday that it "has permanently removed broadband data usage caps for all customers," retroactive to mid-March when the company first temporarily suspended data-cap overage fees.
The decision to permanently drop the cap was made partly because of "learnings from the COVID-19 pandemic as more people worked and learned remotely," Antietam explained. "During this period customers moved into broadband packages that more accurately reflected their broadband needs." Like most other ISPs, Antietam charges different prices based on speed tiers as measured in bits per second, with Antietam's advertised download speeds ranging up to 1Gbps.
"These are uncertain times. We felt a need to give customers as much certainty over their bill as possible," Antietam President Brian Lynch said in the press release. "Eliminating data usage caps means that customers will know the exact amount of their broadband bill every month."
[...] Antietam imposed its data cap in 2015, charging a $10 overage fee for each additional block of 50GB. The monthly data caps ranged from 500GB to 1.5TB per month, except for a gigabit fiber plan that already included unlimited data, according to a Stop the Cap article.
[...] ISPs enforce data caps primarily to boost revenue rather than to manage congestion. Comcast says it imposes a data cap to ensure "fairness" among its customers but coincidentally does not impose the data cap in the Northeast United States, where Comcast faces strong competition from Verizon's un-capped fiber-to-the-home FiOS service.
(Score: -1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 08 2020, @12:54AM (5 children)
Boomers forced everyone to stay home at gunpoint to give Boomers a safe space.
Boomers forced every business to close at gunpoint to give Boomers a safe space.
Boomers forced everyone to wear face masks at gunpoint to give Boomers a safe space.
Boomers caused the worst economic depression in history to give Boomers a safe space.
Whiny entitled Boomers are the worst generation ever to live.
No longer.
Boomers must be made to pay with their lives for crimes against civilization.
The Final Solution to COVID-19 is to exterminate every Boomer.
(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 08 2020, @01:02AM (1 child)
Didn't you get the memo? COVID-19 was cured last week by St George who caused the crowds of faithful to gain immunity.
(Score: -1, Spam) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 08 2020, @01:21AM
Boomers shuttered every business except what Boomers use because Boomers are selfish racist scum.
Looters shuttered every business Boomers use. Looters win!
I'll be laughing all the way to the Chinese grocery while Boomers drink bleach and die.
Boomers did COVID-19.
(Score: -1, Redundant) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 08 2020, @04:04AM
Ok Doomer.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Fishscene on Monday June 08 2020, @03:34PM (1 child)
What is this site's policy for advocating the killing of $(group of HUMAN BEINGS) ?
Offtopic, Inflammatory, Inappropriate, Illegal, or Offensive comments might be moderated.
I know I am not God, because every time I pray to Him, it's because I'm not perfect and thankful for what He's done.
(Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Monday June 08 2020, @05:39PM
Well it's hands off when it comes to advocating the deaths of lefties and Jews. Should it be different for Boomers?
(Score: 2) by Fishscene on Monday June 08 2020, @01:19AM (4 children)
"During this period customers moved into broadband packages that more accurately reflected their broadband needs." Apparently before COVID19, folks payed for what they needed. After COVID19, folks continue to pay for what they need, so they've decided to stop punishing people for using what they payed for. I mean, there was absolutely NOTHING stopping them from not punishing their customers before COVID19... so why now?
I know I am not God, because every time I pray to Him, it's because I'm not perfect and thankful for what He's done.
(Score: -1, Spam) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 08 2020, @01:26AM (1 child)
Now, Boomers get preferential treatment for being Boomers.
Boomers did COVID-19. Let the Boomers die. The rest of us will survive COVID-19 without a lockdown forced on us by selfish racist asshole Boomer scum.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 11 2020, @07:00PM
You admit you are the child born of boomers. Therefore, if you off yourself first, you'll be practicing what you preach and you'll be a shining beacon for your ideas. Also, don't do that, because you'd be absolutely STUPID and you wouldn't accomplish anything. I'm just saying, killing your parents isn't going to fix anything and you're just as bad, if not worse than your parents, for advocating for killing off an entire generation because your fragile ego can't handle that the real world is difficult and always has been, and always will be and that you live in one of the safest times in human history.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 08 2020, @02:08AM
Innovation.
By innovating in the tiering space, the Leaderhip made a bold move for which they were rewarded handsomely.
Now they are innovating to meet the new workspace paradigm by eliminating tiering. Bonuses all round.
Could last even a few months before innovation strikes again.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 08 2020, @10:02AM
They needed less then, so they had to pay more. Now they need more, so it's only fair for them to pay less.**
You know it makes sense.
** data vs bandwidth (speed)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 08 2020, @02:17AM (3 children)
Nickeling and diming over bits and bytes.
This despite all the over-investment during dot-bomb era in fiber network.
No wonder the chicom buggers ragging on us.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 08 2020, @02:40AM
Yes, fiber bigot. Fiber internet is best internet just like North Korea is Best Korea.
Have you heard of wireless? Investment in fiber was fucking stupid when everybody went wireless a few years later.
That's right. Boomers invested in fiber and Boomers got rich and now Boomers own your quarantined ass, motherfucker.
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 08 2020, @03:43AM (1 child)
Except for when verizon stole the funds to use on their cell company instead of building the fiber NJ and NY paid for.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 08 2020, @05:25AM
Shhh, covid-19. now's not the time. don't be such a jerk.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 08 2020, @08:24AM
I used to have a "soft cap" on my 200Mbps line at 1000GB after which they would traffic shape. I never reached it. The "soft cap" was then removed in 2017.
Last month usage was 267GB / 15GB.
I don't understand why you still have data caps. Is that like in Australia?
(Score: 2) by shortscreen on Monday June 08 2020, @10:34AM
50GB for $10?? Where do I find me a sweet bargain like that?