this post was submitted on 09 Nov 2024
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I'm an unfortunate captive of the oligopoly of the internet industry in the USA. In many places, you have 2-3 choices of internet, and all of them suck ass. I'm in this situation. All internet providers in my area have a 1-1.5 terabyte data cap. So when I download Call of Duty for 250 gb and it fails and has to update or reinstall, I've wasted 500 gb, and have now reached 50% of my data cap in just 1 day. There are crazy fees, for example, Cox Cable says:

If you go over, we’ll automatically add 50 gigabytes of data for $10 to your next bill. That's enough for about 15 hours of streaming HD video. If you use that 50 gigabytes, we automatically add another 50 gigabytes for $10 and so on until you reach our $100 limit of data overage charges or until your next usage cycle begins.

So your $90 a month internet can easily become $190 a month, which is fuckin criminal, like that is so scummy and asinine how that can even be legal. But it is perfectly legal. The FCC is also looking into these data caps but now that we have a new anti-federal government president elect... This is probably toast.... Nothing will change now that most federal agencies are about to be deleted.

From a technology standpoint too, nothing is really getting better

Comcast is still using Coax instead of Fiber Optic and desperately trying to convince people that somehow, someway coax can be just as good. Do with that info what you will, I have no opinions on it. There was a Federal program started recently to expand rural internet access, which will probably be gutted in 2025 leaving many without suitable internet again. Fiber Optic is fast, but still, not new technology, and doesn't solve a critical issue.... It doesn't matter if you have 2 Gigabit internet if no one in the world is uploading even half that fast. A single download on Steam is like 450 Mbps, Epic Games launcher is horrifically slow. I get like 120 Mbps max when downloading Fortnite updates even with 1500 Mbps internet hard wired to my router with top tier hardware

It's just sad to think about the future of internet in the USA, and knowing we'll be imprisoned by these data caps for the foreseeable future.

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[–] Sam_Bass@lemmy.world 8 points 4 days ago

I had to sign up for a business account because of Cox's data cap. Sadly they're my only option and they suck ass.

[–] LogicalAIs@lemmy.world 7 points 4 days ago

Not a chance.

[–] notannpc@lemmy.world 6 points 5 days ago (5 children)

It’s definitely not going to happen in the next 4.5 years. Paying the extra for unlimited data is basically a must these days.

To make myself feel better about it, I try to use as much data as possible every month. Not because there’s actually a good reason for the data caps, but because I’m spending the money, so I might as well. My personal best so far is 7TB in a month 😂

[–] QuarterSwede@lemmy.world 4 points 5 days ago

1.9TB is our high and that’s with 2 adults and 3 data hungry kids. 7TB!? Good lord!

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Well, we've just crossed into what will be a third-phase Corporatocracy, and a Monopoly gamed service industry.

You have other options now that are not the usual players, but then you're giving money to Starlink.

You have the option of organizing to create a local fiber concern as a public utility, but in a few months they'll pass laws preventing that from ever happening.

Your best option on the Internet between is an unlimited cell plan and a hotspot, and it's not a great option, but the competition is still so heavy that your bill won't change. Higher latency, but probably decent throughput.

[–] ContrarianTrail@lemm.ee 6 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (3 children)

It's just bizzare to me that there's data caps on your internet plans. Especially since you're already paying 5x more than I'm for unlimited connection. I assume there must be some other reasons for this too than just greed. Perhaps the size of your country? I mean even Texas alone is almost as big as entire Europe.

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[–] FreakinSteve@lemmy.world 5 points 4 days ago

You can't feign growth without suppressing growth first

[–] Ilovethebomb@lemm.ee 5 points 5 days ago

Yeah, you guys are screwed.

[–] CheeseNoodle@lemmy.world 2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

"I get like 120 Mbps max" Literally 5-10x faster than most internet in the UK, no datacaps here though.

[–] Custodian1623@lemmy.world 7 points 3 days ago (5 children)

are you sure youre not confusing Mbps and MB/s

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[–] finitebanjo@lemmy.world 2 points 5 days ago

Idk about data caps, but I used to get 3MB/s and I had to be happy for it. Things are better.

I think because of recent programs new ISPs have popped up all over the USA. The IIJA invested in infrastructure and startups to increase number of servicers to areas with few to no providers.

So I guess it depends on which representatives we send to Congress and the White House.

There is an alternative that I wish I could think of the name of that communities have been using for a number of years now to set up cheap, small-scale satellite internet networks. I looked into it once as an alternative for my neighborhood to dealing with the bullshit that is Comcast and Verizon, and ended up getting an ad for milsec strategic level network infrastructure from Boeing or something. Regardless, it's a known and proven alternative that's cheaper than the big guys and has hit a point where some places have set it up as a part of local government run infrastructure.

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