Massachusetts State Rep Calls Comcast’s Abandonment of Data Caps and Penalties ‘a Huge Win’

Comcast, which postponed its planned data caps and penalties on northeast customers when it came under fire at the peak of the current pandemic, has abandoned the plan altogether. Haverhill Rep Andy Vargas (D-MA) said he received word directly from Comcast in early December after following up on the company’s plan to charge those without unlimited plans $10 for every 50 gigabytes they use over the 1.2 terabyte limit, up to a maximum of $100 a month. “The latest we have is that they have no intention of reintroducing the data caps at all, which is a huge win,” Vargas said. In January 2021, Vargas and other area legislators joined Rep Dave Rogers (D-MA) in a letter to Comcast/Xfinity urging the internet service provider to terminate its plan and “reconsider any future attempts at imposing a data cap or any perversion of the principles of net neutrality in Massachusetts.” At the time, Vargas said, studies show a growing number of consumers exceed already the proposed limits, forcing them to pay over-limit fees or subscribe to a costly unlimited plan for as much as $30 more a month.