Comcast customerCentral

Comcast is committed to providing the best online experience for all its customers. Please review our frequently asked questions regarding excessive use below in order to find out what Comcast is doing for you.

What is excessive use?

Excessive use means bandwidth or data usage that is significantly higher than typical residential usage. Excessive use is very atypical – less than 1% (currently it’s about one tenth of 1%) of Comcast customers today use an excessive amount of data. Excessive users consume so much data that the usage could negatively impact the online service for other customers. 

We have heard from customers who have requested that a number be provided to clarify what the company defines as excessive use. W listened, and recently announced that we will implement a new threshold for data usage. As of October 1, 2008, data usage above 250 Gigabytes ("GB") per month per Comcast High-Speed Internet residential customer account is considered excessive. To reach 250GB in a month, for example, a customer would have to do any of the following:

• Send 50 million plain text e-mails (at 5KB/e-mail)
• Download 62,500 songs (at 4 MB/song)
• Download 125 standard-definition movies (at 2 GB/movie)
• Upload 25,000 hi-resolution digital photos (at 10 MB/photo)

The following Frequently Asked Questions are intended to help clarify what Comcast means by excessive use and how it handles excessive use situations.    

What is Comcast's approach to Excessive Use?

We have an excessive use program to provide a high-quality online service for all of our customers. We maintain an Acceptable Use Policy ("AUP") located at http://www.comcast.net/terms/use/ for our Comcast High-Speed Internet Service customers. The AUP discloses what constitutes unacceptable conduct and uses of the service. The AUP includes requirements regarding data usage that all Comcast customers and users of the service must follow.

We determine excessive usage in relation to typical residential uses of its service. We do so in order to identify truly excessive use while not impacting the vast majority of Comcast customers–more than 99%–who use the service as intended.

As of October 1, 2008, data usage above 250 Gigabytes ("GB") per month per Comcast High-Speed Internet residential customer account is considered to be excessive

What is data usage or bandwidth usage?

Data usage, also known as bandwidth usage, is the amount of data, such as images, movies, photos, videos, and other files that customers send, receive, download or upload over a specific period of time. Data usage is not the same as the speed of an Internet service. For example, a typical customer who uses the service to send and receive email, surf the Internet, and watch streaming video may consume 2 – 4GB of data in a month (these numbers may vary on a monthly basis); while another customer who uploads or downloads 1,000 pictures in a month may use 10GB. In both cases, however, the speed of each customer's service could be the same (for example, 6 Megabits per second ("Mbps") downstream and 1 Mbps upstream).

Does Comcast use a monthly data usage threshold to determine excessive use?

Comcast has established a 250GB monthly data usage threshold for all residential Comcast High-Speed Internet accounts. This threshold is in place to provide a clear definition of excessive use of the service.

The new monthly data usage threshold went into effect on October 1, 2008.

Why is Comcast providing a monthly data usage threshold for its residential high-speed Internet users?

We have been evaluating a monthly data usage threshold for quite some time and we have heard from high-speed Internet customers who have asked that we provide a specific number for excessive use. By providing a specific monthly data usage threshold, we are providing greater clarity to our customers about excessive use.

When was the 250 GB monthly data usage threshold be put into effect?

Comcast initiated the 250 GB monthly data usage threshold on October 1, 2008.

What will happen if I exceed 250 GB of data usage in a month?

The vast majority - more than 99% - of our customers will not be impacted by a 250 GB monthly bandwidth or data usage threshold. If you exceed more than 250 GB and is one of the heaviest data users who consume the most data on our high-speed Internet service, you may receive a call from the Customer Security Assurance ("CSA") team to notify you of excessive use. At that time, we will tell you exactly how much data per month you had used. When we call you, we try to help you identify the source of excessive use and ask you to moderate your usage, which the vast majority of our customers do voluntarily. If you are contacted by the CSA team again for excessive use within six months of the first contact your service will be subject to termination for one year. We know from experience that most customers curb their usage after our first call. If your account is terminated, after the one year period expires you may resume service by subscribing to a service plan appropriate to you needs.

Our practice for the past several years has been to call only our heaviest data users, and this practice remains the same now that the 250GB data usage threshold is in effect. We may change our practice but will, of course, provide notice to you of any change.

Will all customers who exceed 250 GB of data usage in a month be identified as excessive users?

Yes, we set 250GB as the residential data usage threshold for excessive use. Since average consumption of those top users changes monthly, we have chosen a monthly threshold at 250GB so that our high-speed Internet customers have a number that they can stay under and will not receive a call from Comcast. Customers who exceed 250GB and are among the heaviest users of Comcast’s high-speed Internet service may be contacted by us about their excessive use. It’s important to note that this is the same practice we have had in place for several years. We continue to contact only the heaviest users of our service. We are continuing that practice now that the 250GB data usage threshold is in effect.

How does monthly data usage threshold change Comcast's policy on excessive use?

Our overall policy on excessive use remains the same—the only change is that we now provide a monthly data usage threshold starting on October 1, 2008. By providing a specific monthly data usage threshold, we are providing greater clarity to our customers about excessive use.

Why did Comcast choose 250 GB as its data usage threshold?

250GB is far beyond the current median of data usage for a typical residential Internet customer in a month, so this amount of data accommodates any reasonable definition of typical monthly residential usage.

To reach 250 GB in a month, for example, a customer would have to do any of the following:

• Send 50 million plain text e-mails (at 5KB/e-mail)
• Download 62,500 songs (at 4 MB/song)
• Download 125 standard-definition movies (at 2 GB/movie)
• Upload 25,000 hi-resolution digital photos (at 10 MB/photo)

What is normal or typical use?

Data usage changes over time as our customers use the Internet and the services and applications available for it. Currently, the median data usage by Comcast High-Speed Internet customers is approximately 2 - 4GB each month (these numbers may vary on a monthly basis). This reflects typical residential use of the service for purposes such as sending and receiving e-mail, surfing the Internet, and watching streaming video.

How is Comcast notifying its customers about the 250 GB/month data usage threshold?

We are taking a number of steps to notify our customers:

• We have posted a preview (in PDF format) of the amended AUP on our Network Management page as well as an overview and a link to updated FAQs.
• We are also running banners on our Comcast.net home page as well as on our Security Channel Web page directing customers to the Acceptable Use Policy Web page.
• We also created a dedicated Acceptable Use Update page that explains all of the details of these changes to our Policy and what it means to you. http://help.comcast.net/aup

Do I need to worry that I may be an excessive user? 

There are very few excessive users. The vast majority—more than 99%--of our customers are not excessive users and do not need to be concerned with excessive use. We currently identify well less than 1% of Comcast High-Speed Internet customers as excessive users each month. Here are some additional facts to keep in mind based on our current policies:

• 95% of service customers could increase their data usage many times over and still not be considered an excessive user
• An excessive user who is a residential customer greatly exceeds a typical small business customer's usage.
• Many excessive users consume more data than a business-class T1 line running at full capacity in a month. 

How does Comcast help customers who have been identified as excessive users?

Our experience shows that some customers identified as excessive users were not aware of the activity that caused the excessive use. For example, after being notified by us some customers identify another person in their household, such as a child or roommate, who uses the service in ways that generate excessive use. In other cases, a customer's personal computer may be compromised by a virus or spyware that uses the computer to send large amounts of spam or perform repeated bulk transfers of large files. Still other customers may have an unsecured wireless router or be using our residential Comcast High-Speed Internet service for a commercial or business purpose and not the intended residential purpose. In each of these situations, and many others, we are able to help the customer identify and address the cause of the excessive use made with his or her account. In fact, most customers identified as excessive users change their usage patterns or make other adjustments and continue to use the service. Only a small fraction of the tiny number of users who are identified as excessive users ever have their service terminated for one year because of continued excessive use.

Does this mean that you monitor what specific activities customers are doing with their Internet accounts?

No. We determine aggregate data usage. We do not monitor specific customer activities on the Internet in order to identify excessive users. We look for data usage in the aggregate and then we will identify those customer accounts that have used more than 250GB in the month.

Do you offer usage tiers based on data usage?

No, we currently offer varying speed plans for our residential service as well as several business level services to support your individual needs.  

How does Comcast help its customers track their usage so they can avoid exceeding the limit?

We are in the process of creating a usage meter that will measure consumption for the Comcast account which will be available in the coming months. In the meantime, we offer a meter for free with our McAfee security suite available at http://security.comcast.net/

There are many online tools customers can download and use to measure their consumption. Customers can find such tools by simply doing a Web search – for example, a search for “bandwidth meter” will provide some options. Customers using multiple PCs should just be aware that they will need to measure and combine their total monthly usage in order to identify the data usage for their entire account. Comcast cannot verify that any tools customers may find themselves and use to measure data usage are accurate or without other flaws. Comcast’s determination of each customer account’s data usage is final.

It’s important to note that when our new threshold does not change our practice around excessive use. We continue to call only the top users who consume the most data each month, which is usually well over 250GB, which is the same practice we have had in place for several years.

Is it possible that someone could fall victim to a hacker or bandwidth hijacker, which could look like excessive use?

Yes. In a small number of instances, we find that outsiders exploiting a customer's personal computer and Comcast High-Speed Internet service may cause excessive use. For example, a customer using an unsecured wi-fi or wireless connection in an apartment building could have his or her service used by another tenant in the building. Or, a customer's computer may be compromised with a virus or spyware used to send large amounts of spam or perform repeated bulk transfers of large files. We will work with customers in these and similar situations to secure their computers and services wherever possible. You can read more about security at the Comcast Security Channel located at http://security.comcast.net/.

How do I get the data usage meter and do I have to download it?

You do not need to download anything to access the data usage meter. Simply go to Comcast.net and log into “My Account” using your Primary or Self-Managed Secondary account. Click on the “Users and Settings” tab. There, you will see a link to “View Details” in the “My Devices” section (located toward the upper right hand of the screen) that will take you to your data usage details page. From there, you will see details of your monthly data usage.

Does the data usage meter measure all data usage or do I need to download multiple meters if I use multiple devices?

The data usage meter measures all data usage flowing through your cable modem. If you are using multiple computers and other devices behind your modem, such as on a home network, the meter will report data usage for all of those computers and devices combined. This also includes general DOCSIS-related IP traffic between the cable modem and the Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS) which is not possible for you to measure on your own.

Does the data usage meter measure data usage in real time?

No. There is roughly a three-hour delay between the time of actual data usage and when it is reflected in the data usage meter. This interval may fluctuate due to network or other transient conditions, including regular network and system maintenance.

How far back does the archiving or history go?

The meter will reflect three month’s historical data usage plus the current month’s data usage, for a total of four months

How can I independently verify that Comcast's data usage meter is accurate?

We have conducted extensive testing, and we have also hired an independent engineering company, NetForecast, to do an analysis to confirm the accuracy of the data usage meter.  To read the report, go to: http://netforecast.com/documents/NFR5101_Comcast_Usage_Meter_Accuracy.pdf.

Who is NetForecast and why did Comcast use them?

NetForecast is an internationally recognized engineering consulting company and is highly regarded in the Internet community. We asked them to do an independent analysis to confirm the accuracy of the data usage meter before we released it.  To read the report, go to: http://netforecast.com/documents/NFR5101_Comcast_Usage_Meter_Accuracy.pdf.

Is the McAfee data usage meter an option as Comcast previously mentioned?

It is until we launch the data usage meter nationally. When we do, the Comcast meter will be the official measure of your monthly usage and the one we will use to apply and enforce the Acceptable Use Policy’s excessive use provisions. No other meter will be accepted by us for this purpose.

Will there be any notification to me if I am getting close to 250 GB?

Not at this time. You can access the usage meter at any time, and we would encourage you to do check if you are concerned that you may be getting close to the threshold. Most customers will find that they are using far less than the 250 GB allowance.

If I do not use the 250 GB monthly allotment, can the remainder be carried over into the next month?

No, we do not offer a data usage rollover option.

Is Comcast's data usage meter available for commercial customers?

No, we do not currently have an excessive use threshold for commercial customers so such a meter is not necessary for our Comcast Business Class customers.

Why didn't Comcast just wait until the data usage meter was ready and then implement the 250 GB threshold?

Our excessive use program is not new—it’s been around for years. The only difference is that in the past we didn't provide a specific number regarding data usage. We felt it was important to move forward and disclose the threshold to your since we did receive questions about what would constitute excessive use.

Does the data usage meter display usage for a calendar month or billing month?

The data usage meter displays usage on a per Gigabyte (GB) basis, over a calendar month, not the customer's monthly billing period (which may be different from a calendar month).

Does the data usage meter round up or down?

The data usage meter is designed to display usage conservatively and in favor of customers, such that it rounds DOWN usage to the nearest GB rather than round up.

Is this just the beginning of the metered usage and is Comcast planning to offer tiers of service like what Time Warner and AT&T are trialing?

No. We have no plans to introduce consumption-based billing at this time.

Is Comcast going to offer a pay-per-GB option for customers who go over 250 GB in a month?

We do not currently offer a pay-per-GB option, but like all ISPs we continuously evaluate a variety of models, including consumption based billing. However, customers can choose to subscribe to our Comcast Business Class commercial service.

Why do customers who use more data than others pay the same amount for their service each month?

The pricing of our high-speed Internet service is currently based on speed, not data usage. For example, customers who subscribe to our Performance tier (12 Mbps downstream in D3 markets; 6 Mbps downstream for non-D3) pay less than our Blast! (16 Mbps) or Ultra (22 Mbps) customers. Every speed tier has the same excessive use policy. As many other ISPs do, we have based pricing on speeds ever since we introduced our high-speed Internet service. We have also maintained an excessive use policy on all our speed tiers for years, so nothing has changed for our customers.

Will Comcast ever revisit the 250 GB threshold and raise it in the future as bandwidth intensive activities become more and more popular?

We recognize that the Internet is constantly changing and we are committed to continuous improvement. We will continue to evaluate our policies to ensure we provide the best online experience possible. It seems reasonable to assume that this will change over time, as the Internet and our service offerings evolve, though we have not committed to doing so.

Is data usage from Fancast.com included and streaming video or video downloads, or On Demand and Online service that Comcast is going to roll out included?

Yes to both. All data usage, regardless from what Web site or application or device, is counted by the data usage meter. Thus, we are not applying preferential treatment to data usage for Comcast's Internet-based video services over the services of other companies.

What about Comcast Digital Voice (CDV) calls - are they included in the monthly data usage?

Comcast Digital Voice is a separate facilities-based IP enabled digital phone service that is completely different from our CHSI service.

Will the monthly 250 GB data usage threshold significantly limit the amount of videos I can download?

250 GB/month is a huge amount of data usage – this threshold should not have a significant impact on you. To put 250 GB/month into context, you could download 125 standard definition movies (at 2 GB/movie) or more than 40 HD movies (6 GB/movie) per month. We want and encourage our customers to watch videos on the Web. We created www.Fancast.com, which offers thousands of TV programs from top networks and full-length movies for steaming and download. We believe that you should be able to get content wherever you want – on TV, on VOD or the Web. It’s also important to keep in mind that we have had an excessive use policy in place for many years. Having the data usage meter will not change our practice of contacting only the heaviest users of our service and asking them to moderate their usage, many of whom use well over 250 GB in a month.

Why does my meter seem slightly higher than I think it should be?

This is due to normal Internet Protocol (IP) overhead, as well as DOCSIS overhead, inherent in all cable modem and Internet communications. The protocol overhead is not uniform and cannot be precisely predicted. Protocol overhead varies by factors such as the application being used (FTP, email, web, etc. are all different), and can also increase due to normal packet retransmissions which occur on the Internet in the course of communications. As a result, protocol overhead is a part of any Internet and DOCSIS communications.

Why does my meter seem to go up even when I am not actively using the Internet?

You may be surprised to learn that your computer sends and receives a wide range of data when you are not using it. For example, your computer may download operating system (OS) updates, application updates (Firefox, iTunes, Microsoft Office, World of Warcraft, etc.), virus system updates (McAfee, Symantec, etc.). In addition, if you use an online file backup system to remotely back up important files, this can also add to your usage as updates to files on your local computer are synchronized with a server on the Internet.

Why does my meter seem substantially higher than it should be?

This could be explained in a variety of ways. For example, you could have an open, unsecured wireless access point that is being used by others. In addition, you may have malicious software, such as a bot, installed on your computer which is sending spam, using your computer as a file server, or engaged in other malicious activity. In this case, you may want to consider contacting our Customer Security Assurance (CSA) team for assistance.   Please visit http://security.comcast.net/get-help/contact-comcast-security.aspx for contact information.  Lastly, if you are using a peer to peer (P2P) application, a feature of the software involves permitting others to download files that are stored on your local computer.

Do all subscribers have access to the Usage Meter?

We are currently piloting the Usage Meter with customers in Portland, Oregon. We anticipate deploying the Usage Meter to all customers at the completion of the pilot. Usage Meter information is available on our Network Management page at: http://networkmanagement.comcast.net/datausagemeter.htm.