BT bucks trend, drops usage caps on Internet plans
updated 11:20 am EDT, Mon March 14, 2011
BT to introduce cap-free Internet plans
UK provider BT is reversing the status quo by offering subscribers to its Total Broadband and Infinity services will no longer be burdened by usage caps. Infinity services offer download speeds of up to 40Mbps and 2Mbps uploads for £20 ($32) a month and with a £50 ($80) activation fee. Thus far, however, some say speeds are throttled on the Total Broadband Option 3 plan and Infinity Option 2 plan once more than 300MB is reached.
BT's current Fair Usage policy shows that lower services are capped at between 10 and 40MB, but no mention is made of other plans. The document does not that the company can reduce speeds of heavy users to "protect the experience for the rest of our customers" on all plans. Despite the uncapped offerings, such traffic management will remain in place when the network is busy.
The stance is the distinct opposite of what has been taking place in the US, where AT&T is capping service and others have done the same. Cable and DSL have less bandwidth to spare than fiber, but the argument has come in spite of data typically getting cheaper to supply over time. [via Ars Technica]
