Internet Data Caps compared
What Internet Providers have bandwidth data caps, and how they compare
2021-01-02 (updated: 2021-03-02) by Philip
Data caps are limits on how much information can be transferred/received per month, imposed by your Internet provider. Many Internet Service Providers (ISPs) implement some type of data cap to control costs and manage usage. Going over that data cap can cost you, depending on the provider you have. Streaming high-definition content, video conferencing for work and school, it can all add up. Below is a list of ISPs, along with their corresponding data caps, and additional costs of bandwidth once you go over those caps. Some providers may give users a grace period before charging for additional data. Also, some have temporarily suspended data caps during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic.
| Provider | Connection Type | Data Cap | Overage Cost per month |
|---|
| AT&T | DSL, Fiber | 1 TB Fiber
150 GB DSL, 250 GB fixed-wireless | $10 per additional 50 GB
(only charged the third time you breach the cap) | | Buckeye Broadband | Cable | 400 GB, varies | $15 per additional 50 GB | | CenturyLink | DSL, Fiber | 1 TB | none | | Cox | Cable | 1 TB to unlimited | $10 per additional 50 GB | | Frontier | DSL, Fiber | Unlimited | none | | Hughes Net | Satellite | 10 to 50 TB | none | | MCTV | Cable | Unlimited | none | | Mediacom | Cable, Fiber | 150 GB to 6 TB | $10 per additional 50 GB | | Optimum | Cable | Unlimited | none | | Shentel | Cable | 200 GB to 1 TB | $10 per additional 50 GB | | Spectrum | Cable | Unlimited | none | | Suddenlink | Cable, Fiber | 250 GB to Unlimited | $15 per additional 50 GB | | Verizon FIOS | Fiber | Unlimited | none | | Windstream | DSL, Fiber | Unlimited | none | | Xfinity (Comcast) | Cable | 1.2 TB | $10 per additional 50 GB |
Notes:
Browsing web pages and sending/receiving emails uses very little data. The largest data usage by far is caused by HD/UHD video streaming, followed by P2P transfers and video-conferencing. If you see errors in the list, or would like to add another national ISP here, please feel free to leave a comment below.
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