Back in 2016, Charter closed a deal to buy Time Warner Cable. This newly merged company became what we know as Spectrum. To get the deal approved by the FCC, Spectrum agreed not to impose any data caps on its internet customers until 2023. Now that time is coming up, and Spectrum is expected to impose data caps shortly after its deal with the FCC ends.
Spectrum has already tried to impose data caps. Back in 2021, Spectrum asked the FCC to allow it to impose data caps before the end of its deal. After it became clear that the FCC was unlikely to approve the deal, Spectrum pulled its request.
Now on May 18th, 2023, Spectrum’s deal with the FCC will end, and it is expected that Spectrum will impose data caps.
Right now, only a handful of major providers do not impose data caps in some form. Most customers may never go over 1TB of data it is possible. Streaming Netflix in 4K will go through 1TB of data in about 171 hours. That works out to be roughly 7 hours of 4K streaming every day in a month.
Now, most streaming is not in 4K. With Netflix HD, it works out to be about 500 hours of streaming to hit 1TB. That works out to be over 16 hours of HD streaming every day in a 30-day month.
Many have argued that data caps are about making extra profit. Comcast, for example, will let you out of your data cap if you pay extra to rent their modem. Extra fees to avoid data caps and fees for going over your data cap have become a comment way for internet service providers to make extra profit.
Do you have a data cap? Have you ever gone over it? Leave us a comment and let us know.