Comcast is testing a new service in Portland, Oregon that tracks the total traffic each cable modem on its network generates and throttles back on the user’s bandwidth once it hits the 250 GB mark. With the Comcast Usage Meter, customers can view their usage and make their own decisions to avoid high-traffic activities. The service is being directed to the 1% of customers that go well beyond the 250 GB limit allowed by Comcast’s usage policy.
Some examples of high-traffic activities may include: VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), streaming HD content and videos, peer-to-peer file sharing and downloads, newsgroups, and online gaming.
I’m a high-traffic Internet user because of my business and all of the entertainment options for my household are exclusive to the web. I am not a Comcast customer. But, I am fearful that if Comcast begins to throttle back on their customer’s Internet usage, other companies will follow. I’d hate to have to run out of bandwidth while helping a customer over the Internet just because I watched an HD movie on NetFlicks the night before.