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On Friday, Feb. 18, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong issued a statement welcoming Comcast’s announcement that they will postpone, what he called an “ill-timed” data cap until 2022.
Comcast’s planned data caps went into effect on Jan. 1, in 12 states - including Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania - plus Washington, D.C. The data caps were envisioned long before the pandemic hit.
“Delaying this ill-timed data cap until at least 2022 is the right call. I have heard from families across Connecticut who easily exceeded this cap while studying and working remotely,” Tong said.
The internet service and cable provider capped data at 1.2 terabytes per month for customers. After that, it was going to cost $10 per 50 gigabytes up to a maximum of $100 for more data.
To get an idea of how much that is, with 1.2TB of data, you could listen to 21,600 hours of streaming music or watch 500 hours of HD TV, according to Comcast. The company also said that 95 percent of its customers don’t use anywhere near 1.2TB of data each month.
According to News8, Comcast said in a release, “We recognize that our data plan was new for our customers in the Northeast, and while only a very small percentage of customers need additional data, we are providing them with more time to become familiar with the new plan.”
Still, the new pay structure drew sharp criticism from political and community leaders as well as customers. Residents in Agawam were particularly irked. A town committee was formed to investigate other internet service options for the community, including the creation of a municipal network.
People have been especially upset that the change is coming during the COVID-19 pandemic when many people are working and going to school remotely via the internet.
“To raise rates on these families at the very moment they were most reliant on broadband access and least able to pay more was simply unconscionable,” Tong said in a statement. “I thank Comcast leadership for their willingness to listen and compromise, and for keeping lines of communication open with my office over these past several months of discussions. I will continue to monitor this matter closely to ensure all consumers are treated fairly.”
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