Broadband Users on the Limit
When an internet service provider (ISP) advertises their broadband product as being unlimited, anyone not used to this could be mistaken in thinking that they actually had unlimited access to the internet.
However, seasoned internet users have come to learn that unlimited access in reality could mean that their broadband usage is being monitored in order to make sure that the user stays well within the provider’s fair usage policy.
This problem is a lot greater than many think. In fact, according to the consumer research group uSwich, there could be as many as one million broadband customers who are on or very near to their limits.
Tim Wolfenden, spokesperson for uSwitch said, “With so much reliance on broadband, having the service disconnected could feel to someone as serious as having their electricity cut off,”
The problem is that many people do not actually know what their limit is or even if their ISP is one those that has a fair usage policy.
A spokesperson for The Internet Service Providers’ Association said, “An ISPA Member must not deliberately operate bandwidth caps unless it makes available to its customers and users in a clear manner the nature of the caps that apply,”
In fact, there are around 6.5 million broadband users who thought that their ISP had no fair usage policy, while 7.5 million users do not know what their download limit is. These can lead to serious problems for the user if their ISP feels that they are abusing the system.
Source: BBC
