AT&T and Verizon defend data caps on home Internet service

AT&T and Verizon have been fighting to preserve 4Mbps as the nation’s definition of “broadband,” saying the Federal Communications Commission should abandon plans to raise the minimum to 10Mbps. The companies also argue now that the FCC should not consider data caps when deciding whether an Internet service qualifies as broadband. Verizon does not impose any caps on its home Internet service.

AT&T advertises 150GB and 250GB monthly limits with financial penalties when consumers use more than that. While AT&T sends notices to customers about heavy usage, it generally hasn’t enforced the financial penalties. Still, the companies want the ability to charge heavy broadband users extra in the future, just as they do today with their cellular offerings. AT&T and Verizon object to proposals by Netflix and others that would include data caps in the FCC’s definition of broadband. The definition affects the FCC’s analysis of nationwide broadband deployment, and companies that accept Universal Service funds when building networks in rural areas must match the standard.