I mentioned this in another thread but here is the article from cnnmoney:

omcast plans data limits for all customers
May 15 NEW YORK
Comcast is considering imposing monthly usage limits for all of its Internet customers.
David Cohen, executive vice president of America's largest cable company, predicted at a conference Wednesday that in five years' time, the company will have "a usage-based billing model rolled out across its footprint."
That means Comcast (CMCSA) customers could only consume a certain amount of data before facing extra charges for going over their limits.
Cohen said the company would aim to set the limit at a level where "the vast majority of our customers" wouldn't be affected. He speculated that the limit might be set at 350 gigabytes or 500 gigabytes per month. A cap of that size would allow you to download or stream between 70 and 125 HD movies, which typically run about four or five gigabytes in size.
Related: 4 ways a fast lane could change your Internet service
Cohen said he doesn't think Comcast will ever have a system in which "80% of customers" are impacted by data limits and are forced to pay for additional usage, though he added that it's "very difficult to make predictions."
"I don't think that's the model that we are heading toward, but five years ago, I don't know that I would have heard of something called an iPad," he said.
Comcast is currently experimenting with 300 GB data limits in some markets, charging those customers $10 for each additional block of 50 GB. There's also a 5 GB "flexible data" option for light users. Those plans were introduced after the company scrapped its hard 250 GB monthly cap back in 2012.
The move could also affect current Time Warner Cable (TWC) customers should the companies' pending merger be approved by regulators. If the deal is approved, the combined group will be the country's dominant provider of television channels and Internet connections, reaching roughly one in three American homes.

[villagetinker]

This should be interesting as I do not recall being able to see how many GB you used on their website, or on their bills. How would you know that you were approaching a limit?

Originally Posted by villagetinker

This should be interesting as I do not recall being able to see how many GB you used on their website, or on their bills. How would you know that you were approaching a limit?

From the research I've done they have had a "hard limit" in the past but that merely corresponded to the highest speed data being Slowed down or "throttled" when that limit is hit. With 4K programming looking like it will be the 1080 of the future and having a size of 20-50GB per program seems like a 350GB limit would be eaten up very quickly.

This isn't a new model, the cell phone companies have been doing it for years.

[HimandMe]

Comcast maybe hastening their demise...they Re not the beloved cable company of all time. Their internet is their best feature and now they plan to limit data?

[queasy27]

More info from Consumer Reports.

Originally Posted by HimandMe

Comcast maybe hastening their demise...they Re not the beloved cable company of all time. Their internet is their best feature and now they plan to limit data?

It seems to be the way the cable industry is going. I think it's mostly about the chord cutters though, so if you have some form of live cable TV you will probobaly be good. IPTV services probably won't be able to track your usage either (Ie: AT&T uverse, Verizon fios, centurylink prism, TDS TV) to name a few.

[tuccillo]

Why do you think that companies offering IPTV won't be able to track your usage?

Originally Posted by Villages contractor

It seems to be the way the cable industry is going. I think it's mostly about the chord cutters though, so if you have some form of live cable TV you will probobaly be good. IPTV services probably won't be able to track your usage either (Ie: AT&T uverse, Verizon fios, centurylink prism, TDS TV) to name a few.

[rhood]

You can sign in to your Comcast (xfinity) account and see what your data usage is. There is a three month history of usage. Go to: my services, xfinity internet and view data usage details.

[Allegiance]

Many are using comcast internet to watch TV aka IPTV to avoid paying Comcast monopolistic prices for TV. Many of these cable monopolies were born of political corruption. Those same politicians should force Comcast to give the free TV at a reasonable price if they want to limit internet usage. Comcast wants all the cake!

[Allegiance]

Originally Posted by Villages Audio Video

Free TV? Are you referring to ABC, CBS, NBC, Etc? Those channels are free to end users with an antenna but the Cable TV providers pay big bucks for redistribution rights to those channels.

Here is something new Comcast is launching that will have cord cutters dancing in the streets. How about all the broadcast network Feeds and HBO for $15 per month for Comcast Internet subscribers. It will be here in 2016

"'"For an extra $15 a month added to a Comcast Internet subscription, viewers will have access to live and on-demand programming on computers and mobile devices from about a dozen networks, along with cloud DVR storage and Streampix, Comcast’s movie offering. Called Stream, the new service will be available in Boston, Chicago and Seattle later this year and across the company’s coverage areas in the United States in 2016.

“Clearly, there are changes that are happening in the market,” said Matthew Strauss, Comcast Cable’s executive vice president and general manager of video services. “Not everybody is going to want a full pay-TV bundle.”""



http://nyti.ms/1JdcS9l

I started dancing already!!! BTW another thumbs up vote for villages audio video!

[bobbym]

I guess I can kiss streaming Netflix good by

[Jima64]

Originally Posted by bobbym

I guess I can kiss streaming Netflix good by

We use comcast for online news and email, plus netflix. The way netflix has gotten so,stagnant with the listings will be dropped by us soon so there is little chance of us going over the limits. Local television is by way of a antenna in the attic. We have been off cc television about four years now.

Originally Posted by tuccillo

Why do you think that companies offering IPTV won't be able to track your usage?

IPTV stands for "Internet protocol television" it is delivered through the same pipeline that the regular internet comes through, and as such the companies would have a hard time determining what data was used for the Internet connection and what was used to deliver TV programming. That isn't really the issue seeing as it's the chord cutters the cable companies are going to want to impose limits on. If 1 company starts this I would expect ALL the others to follow. They want to get at least $150 a month per subscriber, Internet only and the demise of the landline is hampering that, so they will find ways around it.

Originally Posted by bobbym

I guess I can kiss streaming Netflix good by

Well it seems that local municipalities (most recently Chicago) are planning on imposing entertainments taxes on streaming services soon anyways. Streaming TV, though the future it may be, still has many hurdles to jump comprised of the old systems in place.

Originally Posted by Villages Audio Video

Free TV? Are you referring to ABC, CBS, NBC, Etc? Those channels are free to end users with an antenna but the Cable TV providers pay big bucks for redistribution rights to those channels.

Here is something new Comcast is launching that will have cord cutters dancing in the streets. How about all the broadcast network Feeds and HBO for $15 per month for Comcast Internet subscribers. It will be here in 2016

"'"For an extra $15 a month added to a Comcast Internet subscription, viewers will have access to live and on-demand programming on computers and mobile devices from about a dozen networks, along with cloud DVR storage and Streampix, Comcast’s movie offering. Called Stream, the new service will be available in Boston, Chicago and Seattle later this year and across the company’s coverage areas in the United States in 2016.

“Clearly, there are changes that are happening in the market,” said Matthew Strauss, Comcast Cable’s executive vice president and general manager of video services. “Not everybody is going to want a full pay-TV bundle.”""



http://nyti.ms/1JdcS9l

I read that article, it also stated it would be a beta rolled out in very limited markets. But if they are actually going to do it then more power to them! Maybe more will follow!

Small issue though: a great deal of television cost to the customer comes from the actual content providers if they are losing money streaming then they will just put a stop to it and make the cable companies play ball. Also there is no mention of whether this content will be standard def, if it will have commercials, or what the limitations will be.

There is always fine print.