ISPs Start Broadband Capping
While the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) is still in-process of conducting public hearings on minimum broadband speed and without any law to prevent its adoption, Internet service providers (ISPs) have decided to invoke the “fair use” doctrine in imposing the broadband cap or data limit on the Internet subscription of their customers as a way to curb unrestrained use of just a few broadband users. Globe Telecoms Inc. (Globe) citing its fair use policy is the the latest ISP to announce the move to cap the Internet data volume that the company provides to its subscribers. San Miguel-owned Liberty Telecoms, which operates Wi-Tribe, has been offering WiMax services that have data limits while SkyBroadband, the broadband service unit of SkyCable, also recently rolled out a 5-Mbps Internet offering with 15-GB threshold.
The broadband cap remains a contentious issue in the industry with the ISPs urging the NTC to impose it as a formal regulatory rule. However, the agency has already announced that it will not include any provision on data capping on a circular it is currently drafting on the minimum broadband speed in the country. The various broadband consumer groups have expressed their opposition on the imposition of cap on broadband usage of a subscriber.
Be that as it may, more questions will arise as ISPs implement the broadband cap. Will capping assure the subscribers that they will now get the connection speed that they are paying for? How will we know that the broadband usage being charged to us are correctly metered? How about the rebate system for failure to deliver the promised speed consistently? As in any undertaking that affects the public, safeguards must be put in place before anything goes onstream. Will the broadband service of current ISPs really improve if the cap is implemented?
Internet should really be regulated…
Does the capping apply only to 3G connections or also applies to DSL connections?
I am on a PLDTDSL bundle plan (phone+landline = 1299)… I want to ask their customer support but I doubt if I’d get any good answer.
I have a DSL that is capped at a specific level. I can’t go above that cap, but I never get less then the cap either. It works out well for me.
Thanks for the visit and the comment.
It’s good that your ISP delivers the DSL speed that you pay for. Our situation is very different. Our ISPs have not proven yet that they can deliver the bandwidth they promise and yet they want to put the cap and say that that is the only way they can fulfill their obligation. We do not believe them. We say that they must prove first that they can provide what they promise before we talk about capping.
True on all counts. Just to add, data is data… it is there in the world wide web for all to access. It is not owned by the telcos or the ISP’s. What we are paying for is the speed at which these data can be accessed by us paying customers. Isn’t that the gist on why they spend so much for their advertisements? DATA CAPPING is bad for us in this interconnected world. They are hampering our right by LIMITING our access per day. What’s the point in BRAGGING about how fast their speed is? Truth is, it’s a blessing if you can get a STABLE 60% of their ADVERTISED SPEEDS. And they blame the internet hogs? It is not their fault. And it is not for the ISP’s to say and blame THE CUSTOMERS for using a service which they pay for.