---
title: "Comcast Is Gouging People Who Watch Too Much Netflix"
description: "Comcast customers are finding it harder and harder to stay within their data caps as Netflix streaming technology and quality improves."
date: "2019-08-14"
modified: "2019-08-14"
authors:
  - name: "Dan Robitzski"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/danrobitzski"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/comcast-gouging-people-watch-netflix"
categories:
  - "Science & Energy"
tags:
  - "comcast"
  - "Net Neutrality"
  - "netflix"
  - "the digest"
---

# Comcast Is Gouging People Who Watch Too Much Netflix

![Comcast customers are finding it harder and harder to stay within their data caps as streaming technology and quality improves.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/comcast-gouging-netflix.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Victor Tangermann\</em\>*

## Bandwidth Hammer

People who stream high definition movies and shows are blowing through internet service provider data caps and getting slapped with [higher monthly payments](<https://futurism.com/net-neutrality-gone-affect-you>).

The fines paid by these so-called power users, as providers like Comcast and AT&T call them, are a prominent source of revenue for the companies as they try to make up for cancelled cable subscriptions, *[The Los Angeles Times ](<https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2019-08-13/netflixs-biggest-bingers-get-hit-with-higher-internet-costs>)*[reports](<https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2019-08-13/netflixs-biggest-bingers-get-hit-with-higher-internet-costs>). The companies frame the issue as people who use more bandwidth paying their fair share — but customers who talked to the *LA Times* said the data caps seem like an annoying punishment for regular internet usage.

## Got Bilk?

These data limits end up making people pay extra for using the services for which they already pay top dollar, like one Comcast customer who told the *LA Times* he gets charged an extra $50 for unlimited data usage on top of his $120 monthly bill.

"The first month I blew through the cap like it was nothing," the customer, James Wright, told the *LA Times*, "It's not as hard to go through as you'd think."

## Fast Lane

Stories like Wright's suggest that internet companies like Comcast never adjusted their service for more data-intensive technology and are instead charging extra for people to use it as intended.

"It's a nice source of additional \[revenue per user\]," analyst Craig Moffett told the *LA Times*.

Comcast didn't comment on the specific payment plans, but did tell the *LA Times* that only a small percentage of customers hit their data caps.

**READ MORE:** [Netflix’s biggest bingers get hit with higher internet costs](<https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2019-08-13/netflixs-biggest-bingers-get-hit-with-higher-internet-costs>) \[*The Los Angeles Times*\]

**More on data:** *[The Inventor of the Web Says It’s Broken and Net Neutrality Can Fix It](<https://futurism.com/tim-berners-lee-net-neutrality-privacy>)*

## Author
Dan Robitzki is a senior reporter for Futurism, where he likes to cover AI, tech ethics, and medicine. He spends his extra time fencing and streaming games from Los Angeles, California.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://x.com/danrobitzski>)