Free Press to FCC: Comcast Must Answer for Unnecessary Data Caps

Cable Internet provider Comcast continues to dramatically expand its practice of imposing broadband-usage caps and overage fees on Comcast users in cities across the nation. The Federal Communications Commission has yet to investigate whether the use of data caps unfairly and unreasonably penalizes customers -- though advocacy groups like Free Press and Public Knowledge have called for such investigations for the past four years.

Free Press Policy Director Matt Wood made the following statement, “Data caps have a very real impact on Internet users’ wallets and online behavior. These kinds of limits dampen the use of broadband by discouraging use of the applications that drive economic growth and innovation from Internet content creators. Access providers including Comcast try to justify caps by suggesting that they mitigate broadband-traffic congestion. Yet there’s absolutely no real-world evidence of congestion on wired networks across the board. Internet access providers that also provide multichannel video services love using these arbitrary caps and limits. Monopoly-minded providers like Comcast have a built-in incentive to protect their legacy businesses. And they’ve captured market share to such an outrageous extent that they can harm their customers at will. It’s long past time for lawmakers and public interest regulators to get answers about Comcast’s justification for its data caps, and the impact these caps have on the affordability and openness of high-speed networks.”