Prepare to get dinged for going over internet data limit
Posted January 27, 2011 6:47 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – If you download or stream a lot of videos, get ready for a little tap on the shoulder from your internet provider. There will soon be new fees for going over your data limits.
On basic plans like Shaw’s High-Speed Lite, surfing, emails, pictures, or songs probably won’t push you over your limit. But downloaders who stream a lot of HD video just might exceed their monthly limit.
You can expect a dollar or two per gigabyte past the cap for Shaw and Telus, which can add up to about seven dollars for a typical HD movie.
We’re hearing backlash from some people, who feel it’s just a cash grab.
One man tells us, “Another company will come in, just like these cell phone companies opening up. I think that’s what’ll happen, because how much more money do they need?”
“It feels dishonest. Opportunistic, it seems, almost,” says another. “I don’t have extraordinary useage of the internet, but there is enough stuff that I download… I develop games for a living, so I pull images, videos, and reference materials offline all the time.”
Shaw will give you a couple of warnings and an option to upgrade plans before charging extra useage fees. Telus tells the Vancouver Sun they’ll only charge repeat offenders and also encourage an upgrade.
