Updated
3/9/2012 8:58:03 PM
by
Comcast Expert
Introduction
Get answers to common questions about excessive use.
What is excessive use?
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.
How does Comcast define "excessive use"?
Comcast has set a data consumption threshold ("threshold") on monthly bandwidth consumption (including both upstream and downstream usage) by residential users of its high-speed Internet service ("XFINITY Internet"). Currently, that threshold allows a residential customer to send or receive up to 250 Gigabytes (GB) of data in a calendar month. This includes data in any form (including movies, photos, music, videos, e-mails, computer back-ups, or other types of files) that a customer uses his or her XFINITY Internet to send or receive over the public Internet, including data sent by one XFINITY Internet customer to another.
If an XFINITY Internet residential customer exceeds the 250 GB threshold in a month, we consider that to be "excessive use" for purposes of our Acceptable Use Policy [http://www.comcast.com/Corporate/Customers/Policies/HighSpeedInternetAUP.html]. For about 99 percent of our residential customers, the threshold presents no issue whatsoever, as the median monthly data usage by those customers is currently 8 to 10 GB, or about four percent of the threshold.
Am I at any risk of reaching the "excessive use" threshold?
It's unlikely given how most residential customers use the XFINITY Internet service. To put this usage in perspective, 250 GB is the equivalent of:
• sending 50 million plain text emails;
• downloading 62,500 songs (173 days worth of music);
• uploading more than 25,000 high-resolution photos; or
• streaming between about 100 to 800 hours of video (the range depends upon whether you're streaming studio-quality video or good-quality, standard-definition video, which have different bit rates depending upon the provider*).
* (By way of example, Netflix's website reports that it offers three video quality settings for consumers, which range from up to 0.3 GB per hour for "good quality" to up to 2.3 GB per hour for "best quality." For more details, click here.
Over an entire year, a customer could:
- send more than half a billion plain text emails;,
- download nearly three quarters of a million songs;
- upload more than 300,000 high-resolution photos,;
- stream between 1,200 and 9,900 hours of movies and TV shows and do so without exceeding the threshold.
Our customers do, and are free to, use their Internet service for any purpose whatsoever – to stream, download, or upload data – up to the applicable monthly threshold. Data consumed by all Internet-delivered services, including Internet voice, music, video streaming and download services, and uploading to online cloud storage, for example, count against the usage threshold. This includes all Comcast's web-delivered services like XfinityTV.com. Comcast's cable television service is not delivered over the public Internet (and is paid for by customers separately), so usage does not count against the threshold. Similarly, if a customer had Comcast's XFINITY Internet, but chose to subscribe to Verizon's television service (which is also not delivered over the Internet), that service would not be counted against the threshold.
XFINITY Internet service is intended to meet the needs of residential consumers, including high-volume users. It runs on a shared network, so every user's experience is potentially affected by his or her neighbors' usage. By applying a very high threshold on monthly consumption, we can help preserve a good online experience for everyone.
Why is this policy in place?
The data consumption threshold policy is necessary because extremely high data users can negatively impact the online experience for other customers. We work hard to manage our network resources effectively and fairly to ensure a high-quality online experience for all of our customers. But XFINITY Internet service runs on a shared network, so every user's experience is potentially affected by his or her neighbors' Internet usage.
Our number one priority is to ensure that every customer has a superior Internet service experience. Consistent with that goal, the threshold is intended to protect the online experience of the vast majority of our customers whose Internet speeds could be degraded because one or more of their neighbors engages in consistent high-volume Internet downloads and uploads.
The threshold also addresses potential problems that can be caused by the exceedingly small percentage of subscribers who may engage in very high-volume data consumption (over 250 GB in a calendar month). By applying a very high threshold on monthly consumption, we can help preserve a good online experience for everyone.
Is Comcast going to offer a pay-per-gigabyte option for customers who go over 250 GB in a month?
Our goal is to meet the needs of our residential XFINITY Internet customers as they evolve. While we do not currently offer a residential service with a monthly data consumption threshold greater than 250 GB, we do recognize the Internet – and the uses our customers make of it – is constantly changing. That's why we regularly evaluate whether our usage policies are serving our customers. We listen to this feedback, and, just as we introduce greater speeds when we think the market demands them, so too are we open to considering future products. We will continue to monitor whether our threshold remains fair and reasonable as Internet usage evolves.
How is your data usage threshold evaluated on an ongoing basis? What customer input do you seek?
We recognize that Internet usage patterns are constantly evolving, and we regularly evaluate what policy changes we should make in order to best serve the vast majority our customers. That is always our first and primary focus. We regularly evaluate our products, review traffic and top usage volume and patterns, and conduct focus groups and surveys with our customers—all of this work factors into the decisions we make about what products and services to offer, including speeds tiers, usage thresholds, and other components of our service.
What will happen if I exceed 250 GB of data usage in a month?
If you are a typical XFINITY Internet user and periodically check your Data Usage Meter (see more on the Meter below), you will find that you will probably never exceed the monthly threshold.
While our policy places a data threshold of 250 GB per month, we do not contact every customer who exceeds the threshold. Customers have the benefit of using a Data Usage Meter, and can take steps themselves to monitor or, if necessary, moderate their usage, or call us for help. In practice, we strive to affect the fewest number of customers possible while taking steps necessary to maintain a great experience for all of our customers.
We contact customers who have repeatedly exceeded the threshold in geographic areas where those excessive users are, or could, negatively impact the experience of other customers in their area. We inform them of the issue, discuss the policy with them, and work with them to moderate their usage. In our experience, when we contact customers who have exceeded the threshold, nearly nine out of ten voluntarily moderate their usage right away. The small minority of customers who, despite our efforts to inform and help them, exceed the threshold for a third time in a six-month interval, may have their service suspended for a year. Our goal is always to work with a customer to address the issue, and it is only in the rare circumstance that a customer does not moderate usage to comply with the policy that we take these steps.
We seek to be reasonable, fair and transparent with our customers – and we always invite suggestions on how to improve our policies and procedures.
How does Comcast help customers who inadvertently exceed the data threshold?
Some customers who are contacted for exceeding the data threshold are not even aware of the activity that is causing the excessive use. For example, some customers may 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, we have found a customer's personal computer may have been compromised by a virus or bot that uses the computer to send large amounts of spam or to perform repeated bulk transfers of large files. In yet other cases, a customer may have an unsecured wireless router that is being used by another tenant or a neighbor without his or her knowledge. In still other cases, a customer may be using our residential XFINITY Internet service for a commercial or business purpose that is not consistent with the terms of the Acceptable Use Policy for their residential service. In these and other situations, we may be able to assist the customer in identifying and addressing the cause of the excessive use of his or her account.
When a customer does not take proper steps to secure their service, it can lead not only to excessive data usage, but also to serious security issues for our customers and for our network. We actively 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/ .
Does this mean that you monitor what specific activities customers are doing with their XFINITY Internet accounts?
No. We do not monitor specific customer activities on the Internet in order to identify excessive use. We use tools that allow us to measure our customers' data usage in the aggregate – the same tools that we use to add information to the Data Usage Meter – and we use that information to determine which customers should be contacted for excessive use. But we do not know, and we do not keep a record of, specifically what data has been accessed or used.
How does Comcast help its customers track their usage so they can avoid exceeding the threshold?
The Data Usage Meter is an easy and quick way to track your Internet data usage. The primary account holder can find it by signing onto Comcast.net and logging into "My Account." Then click on "Users and Settings," look in the "My Devices" section (located toward the upper right hand of the screen), and click on "View Details." From there, you can view your Data Usage Meter details page that shows your monthly data usage. We are working on ways to make the Data Usage Meter even easier to find and track.
More information about the Data Usage Meter can be found on our Network Management page at http://networkmanagement.comcast.net/datausagemeter.htm .
Will there be any notification to me if I am getting close to 250 GB?
If you periodically check the Data Usage Meter, you will be informed of whether you are approaching the monthly threshold. About 99% of our customers will find that they are using less than the monthly threshold. We do not currently provide additional notifications. Comcast personnel only notify customers who have in fact exceeded the data threshold in a given month, as described above.
Does the Data Usage Meter just measure data on my PC or do I need to download multiple meters if I use multiple devices?
You don't have to download anything to view the Data Usage Meter. It measures all data flowing through your cable modem. Each account has only one modem associated with it. If you use a single cable modem to connect multiple computers and other devices behind your modem, such as on a home network, the meter will report the combined data usage for all of those computers and devices. If you have more than one modem (and therefore more than one account) in your home, the data from each modem will be tracked by its own separate Data Usage Meter.
Does the Data Usage Meter show me my data usage in real time?
No. The meter updates regularly and should reflect current usage no later than three hours after the data has been consumed (e.g., if you download a large file at 2 pm, that file should be reflected in your Data Usage Meter consumption no later than 5 pm). This interval may fluctuate due to network or other transient conditions, including regular network and system maintenance.
How far back does the Data Usage Meter show my data consumption?
The Meter reflects your consumption in the current month as well as the two previous months. So, you can currently see three months of usage at a time.
How do I know that the Data Usage Meter is accurate?
We conducted extensive testing and asked an independent and internationally recognized Internet engineering company, NetForecast, to undertake an analysis to confirm the accuracy of the Data Usage Meter. You can read their report at http://netforecast.com/documents/NFR5101_Comcast_Usage_Meter_Accuracy.pdf .
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 the Data Usage Meter available for Comcast Business Class customers?
No, we do not currently have a Data Usage Threshold for commercial customers, so such a meter is not necessary for our Comcast Business Class customers.
Does the Data Usage Meter display usage for a calendar month or billing month?
The Data Usage Meter measures usage in Gigabytes (GB) over a calendar month. (Note that your monthly billing period may be different than the calendar month.)
Does the Data Usage Meter round results up or down?
The Data Usage Meter measures conservatively. Therefore, it rounds usage DOWN to the nearest GB.
Why does the Data Usage Meter indicate that my usage is going up even when I am not actively using the Internet?
Your computer may actually be sending and receiving data even when you are not actively using it. For example, your computer may download operating system (OS) updates, application updates (for services like Firefox, iTunes, Microsoft Office, World of Warcraft, etc.) or virus system updates (from McAfee, Symantec, etc.) automatically. In addition, if you use a cloud-based online file backup system to remotely back up important files to a server on the Internet (e.g., Dropbox, MobileMe, etc.), this can also add to your usage.
I don't think I'm using nearly as much data as the Data Usage Meter says I am. Assuming it's accurate, what should I do?
It's time for some troubleshooting. For example, you may have an open, unsecured wireless access point that is being used by others without your permission. In addition, you may somehow have had malicious software (such as a bot) installed on your computer which is sending spam, using your computer as a file server, or engaging in other malicious activity. Or you may be using peer-to-peer (P2P) applications that work by permitting others to download files that are stored on your local computer (using your upstream bandwidth, often without your knowledge). For help or questions, contact our Customer Security Assurance team for assistance – you'll find contact information at http://security.comcast.net/get-help/contact-comcast-security.aspx .
Do all subscribers have access to the Data Usage Meter?
Primary account holders of our residential XFINITY Internet service have access to the Data Usage Meter.
Does the Comcast Usage Meter measure data that I consume from XfinityTV.com?
Yes. XfinityTV.com is an Internet web service from Comcast that you receive using your XFINITY Internet service. Comcast treats its affiliated services the same as it treats any unaffiliated services that you use your XFINITY Internet service to access. All data that travels over the public Internet on our high-speed Internet service (and all data that XFINITY Internet users send to one another using the service) is counted toward the monthly Data Usage Threshold, regardless of the source.
What about XFINITY Video or Voice calls - are they included in the monthly data usage?
XFINITY Video and XFINITY Voice services are not delivered over the public Internet and are not received using XFINITY Internet service. Their use therefore does not count towards the Data Usage Threshold.