What are internet data caps? Many internet providers have a data cap, be it cellular data or wireless home internet. This means they charge their customers an overcharge when they exceed the capped amount or pre-determined upper limit. This also means that whoever your internet provider is, they constantly monitor your data usage.
Both received and sent data are included in this scheme. All internet activities need different amounts of data. Live-streaming a movie on an OTT platform will have more data usage than sending a WhatsApp text or sending an e-mail.
Reader’s Digest news reports have pointed out that many American customers have been overpaying their data bills. Phone companies have been overcharging them without customers realizing it until later. Read this article to find out all about data caps on internet plans and understand them better before they end up burning holes in your pockets.
Does your internet provider have a data cap?
Most internet providers have data caps; it depends on the type of data plan you choose to go with. But in the present day, only internet data providers have data caps. Many wireless home internet providers tend to be within any data cap limits to allow free live streaming. Ask your data provider if they have a data cap. Know what are the overuse charges from before.
CNN Business reports that more than 20 – 24 % of cellular data users were unhappy with the data overcharge they were paying every month. To not let that happen, ask the right questions before purchasing a plan.
What happens when you exceed the data cap?
Let’s say your internet provider sets a data cap at 50 GB per month. If you exceed your data cap limit, they will charge you an extra amount per MB or GB used. Most internet providers charge an average of $10 – $15 per additional 50 GB of usage. However, wireless home internet is meant for unlimited usage. So, people tend to lose track of their usage. This can lead to a massive amount of overcharge and humongous monthly bills.
What are the most common data caps?
Most common data caps range somewhere between 10 GB to 150 GB, depending on the amount of money you pay to increase your cap amount. Normal internet activities like internet surfing, shopping, and sending a few e-mails will not make you exceed your data cap. But if you plan to do office work or have many users on the same internet line. Or say, you live stream videos and play games, such data caps may be a significant monetary pitfall.
The side effects of a wireless internet cap
Yes, free internet made everything look excellent. Nowadays, people can not imagine using their gadgets without an internet network. Everything needs access to the internet to function or be useful from mobiles and tablets to television sets. In 2015, the FCC received over 8000 complaints from users about undue data charges they faced. According to Reuters news reports, due to one such incident and complaint, AT&T Inc. had to even return $700,000 to their customers due to undue data overcharges they made.
What size data cap should you get?
Before you opt for an internet plan, you should understand the bandwidth you need from your internet provider to know which plan works best for you. To determine that, you need to figure out how much time you spend online on an average day and what kind of activities you do on the internet. If your kids are on summer vacation and have plans to play video games all summer, you probably need a bigger internet cap. Or, if you are a work-from-home professional, you need a bigger internet cap to have a smooth day at work. If your need for internet is limited to sending a few WhatsApp texts and minimal internet surfing, then you can make do with a smaller internet cap.
Find out before you pay up
At Wireless Solutions, we have no internet caps and overcharges for any of our internet plans. Be it a SIM card data plan or you want to use it with wireless devices, we do not have any upper user limit on our plans. We will provide you with unlimited access to the internet and let you have a seamless workday or online gaming session with the kids. Contact us to find out more!
