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Cellphone users watched with dismay in recent years as unlimited data plans became nearly extinct, thanks to the growing demand for video. Now, many Twin Cities residents will see data caps coming to their internet service, too.
Comcast, in an e-mail to customers Thursday night, said it will place a limit on internet data use for its residential customers in Minnesota, starting Nov. 1.
The good news, for most customers, is that limit is high — 1 terabyte a month. Comcast says that’s enough for 600 hours of high-definition video or 12,000 hours of online gaming. Less than 1 percent of Comcast’s customers use that much in a month.
But that may not hold true for long. The American appetite for more internet data has been insatiable, with the newest data hog being 4K, or Ultra HD, video.
For serious online gamers or 4K video streamers, unlimited data is still available — for $50 more a month.
Otherwise, what happens if you go over 1 terabyte in a month? Comcast will charge you $10 for every 50 gigabytes over the limit, up to a maximum of $200.
Comcast said it’s rolling out new online tools for customers to track their data use.
The cable company has been testing data limits in some markets, mostly in the Southeast, since last year. Now it’s rolling them out to most of the rest of its U.S. markets.
The data caps don’t apply to Comcast’s business customers or to residential customers with Gigabit Pro or prepaid service plans.
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