After expanding its “trial” 300GB monthly data cap to several Southeastern U.S. cities, Comcast released a memo to customer service reps instructing them how to discuss the new plans, which was leaked online on Reddit by a Comcast employee.
In the memo, the company admits its data caps have nothing to do with network congestion – something that has been long suspected. In a section on best practices to use when explaining why Comcast is expanding its data caps, representatives are told:
Do say: “Fairness and providing a more flexible policy to our customers.”
Don't say: “The program is about congestion management.” (It is not.)
So the question arises: if data caps don’t improve network reliability, then why does Comcast need to raise the prices for the same data they’ve been using for years? The simplest answer is: because they can.
With the new plans (and depending on the region), customers have the option to pay an extra $30 to $35 per month to unlock unlimited Internet access. Those who don’t sign up for a plan like this will automatically be charged $10 for an additional 50GB if they exceed their limit. Standard Internet data cap plans start at 300GB and max out at 600GB.
While the majority of Comcast customers use less than 300GB per month, Internet usage is expected to drastically jump with the proliferation of 4k video streaming; make no mistake, this timing is intentionally concurrent. Comcast hopes that by the time users need more than 300GB, it’ll become standard to pay for more data.
The company stated that it prefers the limit not be labeled as a data cap, but rather a “data usage plan,” much like the kind available for wireless devices. In the leaked document, Comcast states, “We do not limit a customer's use of the Internet in any way at or above 300GB.” But that only makes sense if you don’t factor in the surcharges and fees as “limiting” your Internet experience.
Other intriguing details in the leaked document include the company’s policy on how to deal with buzzwords they don’t like. If a customer uses the words “net neutrality,” or asks about what is and isn’t accounted for under the data cap, they will be transferred to a different customer service team. Calls will be monitored if customers make “observations about how Xfinity services are or are not counted relative to third party services,” and reps are instructed “not to address these items with the customer.”
When data caps were first introduced to Comcast in 2012, the company said they would replace the standard system we know. Well, it’s sure on its way.
Source: The Verge
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