From AT&T to Cable One: Who has the highest data caps in wireline, wireless and cable?

In this report, we consider which carriers have implemented data caps and how large those caps are. Each provider is ranked by the size of the data cap they offer and the charge they incur for exceeding it. Service provider groups that have no caps are ranked according to company size.

Wireless: Given the fact that wireless operators are using spectrum, a resource that has its limitations, the large wireless operators have taken the approach of quietly dumbing down connections, or throttling a connection after a user goes beyond their monthly allotment. But consumers should be aware that the wireless operators’ “unlimited” data plans aren’t exactly limitless. Several major wireless carriers cap high-speed data usage. Not content to go with the flow of other operators, T-Mobile offers the most generous data allowance at 50 GB for unlimited data. After T-Mobile, the data allowances for unlimited data plans drops to 23 GB from Sprint and then an average of 22 GB for AT&T, Verizon and US Cellular. Similarly, several of the top wireless operators will also slow down a user’s speed if they exceed the limits on lower speed packages. AT&T and US Cellular will slow all data usage to a 128 Kbps (2G speed) for the rest of the billing cycle.