None of us are fans of data caps. Heck, maybe that’s why so many users are willing to take a string of caveats for an unlimited data pl...
None of us are fans of data caps. Heck, maybe that’s why so many
users are willing to take a string of caveats for an unlimited data plan
or pay out of pocket for each new smartphone to maintain their
grandfathered status. But data caps aren’t just a problem in the mobile
world.Netflix says ISPs are being unreasonable.
Last week Netflix appealed the FCC as part of the regular review
of the Telecommunications Act. The popular streamer said that carriers
and ISPs in general are capping data in a way that harms regular
citizens.
“Data caps (especially low data caps) and usage-based pricing
(‘UBP’) discourage a consumer’s consumption of broadband, and may impede
the ability of some households to watch Internet television in a manner
and amount that they would like,” said Netflix. “For this reason, the
Commission should hold that data caps on fixed-line networks and low
data caps on mobile networks may unreasonably limit Internet
television viewing and are inconsistent with Section 706.”
Netflix claims that service providers are using data caps on
streaming video to force subscribers back over to their traditional
television service. The company says that this policy is discriminatory,
and that any data cap in the realm of 300 GB is a disservice to the
subscriber.
“Today’s ‘above-average’ Internet consumer is tomorrow’s average Internet consumer,” said Netflix.
The Telecommunications Act exists to ensure that technology is
being fairly rolled out to the population in a reasonable way. Netflix
says that the technology and bandwidth exist to render these data caps
unnecessary, but that ISPs are setting artificial limits for their own
gain.
What are your thoughts regarding Netflix’s accusations that ISPs
are capping data for reasons that don’t have the consumer’s best
interest in mind? Let us know in the comments below!
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