An article on the BBC website has some figures showing that nearly 1M broadband customers in the UK have either exceeded their download limit or are running close to it. So here's the situation:
- Most broadband providers impose a download limit. Even on accounts that are supposedly "unlimited" (using a "fair use" policy) - 56% of "unlimited" accounts have some sort of limit according to the BBC article;
- These "limits" vary dramatically between providers;
- Often these "limits" are not published. I suspect, for some providers, these limits have not been formally set;
- As an end user, it can often be difficult (if not impossible) to monitor usage, particularly in households with multiple PCs;
- Many providers will limit the service of those who exceed the limits or terminate the connection completely.
Now to keep this in perspective, most users get nowhere near their usage limits (many downloading less that 1GB/month). Where there are limits, they seem more than adequate for normal usage.
However, the principle remains. Broadband providers should:
- Make their usage limits clear when the user takes out the contract;
- Provide users with tools that allow them to monitor their usage.
Am I sounding frustrated because I have exceeded my usage limit? No. I have no idea what my limit is - my broadband provider tells me it is "unlimited" - and I have no way of monitoring the connection.
