Videotron put a bandwith limit on his Extreme High Speed

DrAkO · 2007-08-14, 02:30 PM

Videotron send a letter today to all Extreme High Speed Customers to inform them that from October 1st, the bandwith will not be unlimited.

So, now :

10 Mbits download, 900 Kbits upload, unlimited bandwith.

After september 30, 2007 :

10 Mbits download, 900 Kbits upload, 100 Go / month, 1.50$ per additionnal gig with no limit...SAME PRICE!

So, for example, if you download 200 Go, they cost you 64.90$ (basic price) + 1.50$ x 100 Go = 150$ = 214.90$.

57 · 2007-08-14, 02:35 PM

This is happening with many service providers. Some providers simply drop you as a customer if you exceed the download limit. (for example Rogers used to have a "hard cap" of around 100GB for a while on Exteme, which if you exceed you get a warning, then get dropped. Rogers now have an additional charge too)

Discussion on Caps in the following thread - I, and others, agree with this approach. Still others do not.

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=62615

Rogers Extreme also has a 100 GB cap with the 3 lower level services having a 60 GB/mo cap.

From the Rogers website FAQs:

Quote:

An additional usage above the current bandwidth limit may be charged at $1.25 per gigabyte.

I don't recall ever getting notice regarding the cap, but that may be because I've never come close, usually being at 1-2 GB/mo.

reygar · 2007-08-16, 12:32 PM

ah man, i just got the letter, this is so unfair, they should lower the price for removing a benefit of the service. the unlimited downloads are the only thing keeping me with videotron. gonna start lookin somewhere else.

cprich2007 · 2007-08-16, 12:53 PM

Move to sask and get sasktel cause that only company for unlimited use of internet and also they have hd and sd television.

Hope it solves your case with videotron. By the way, where you live when you have videotron?

Dili · 2007-08-16, 06:06 PM

hey all!

i'm starting an online petition for this new bandwidth limit! when it's ready i'll post the link! i hope everyone signs!

bouche · 2007-08-16, 06:13 PM

I received a letter today as well, but it's different.

It says:

Quote:

you enjoy the advantages of an Internet access that includes unlimited downloads. Vidéotron will henceforth set a monthly bandwidth level of 100 GB (download and upload combined) that should fully meet your requirements.

Effective October 1, 2007, there will be a fee for usage in excess of the 100 GB combined monthly limit. The fee is $1.50 per additional gigabyte.

Kind of ambiguous, don't you think? Unlimited downloads...yet...videotron will henceforth set a monthly bandwidth level.

Are they trying to say that unlimited downloads and bandwidth are 2 different things? Because, they aren't so I don't see how that can fly.

57 · 2007-08-16, 06:15 PM

They should probably have added the word "you currently enjoy...." or perhaps it was intimated earlier in the letter - I'm not sure what came before your quote.

Kevin007 · 2007-08-16, 06:32 PM

I got it too...... that was the only reason why I was on extreme..... unlimited.. now Im gonna downgrade to the reg that only has the 20/10 bandith and let it go over the cap.... to a max of 30$..... only 10ish more $ in total , but it will be unlimited again... and 7mbit is fast enough.....

mont2008 · 2007-08-16, 08:39 PM

I guess They can change their ruls about $30 limited in 20/10 plan

Walter Dnes · 2007-08-16, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reygar

ah man, i just got the letter, this is so unfair, they should lower the price for removing a benefit of the service. the unlimited downloads are the only thing keeping me with videotron. gonna start lookin somewhere else.

How on earth do you legally up/download 100+ gigabytes per month anyways? This is just like newer condos. Everybody is on separate meters now for electricity. If some people want to use electricity like it's going out of style, fine. Just don't expect light users to subsidize them. Same principle here.

bouche · 2007-08-17, 09:19 AM

One of my workmates found the french version of the letter. It's obvious that it was written in french and then translated poorly to english. So the letter in french makes it pretty clear that CURRENTLY we are on unlimited, but that is to change.

The english letter makes it sound like we have unlimited transfers, but they will be imposing a bandwidth limit which is ambiguous and seemed like a ploy to trick people.

Clearly, they can change their business model if they have to, but I believe if they find it easy to do without any backlash or uproar from the customers, they'll tighten things up even further in the future. I'll definitely let them know that I am not happy about losing the unlimited features of the account.

kyle747 · 2007-08-17, 09:59 AM

How on earth do you legally up/download 100+ gigabytes per month anyways? This is just like newer condos. Everybody is on separate meters now for electricity. If some people want to use electricity like it's going out of style, fine. Just don't expect light users to subsidize them. Same principle here

Comments like this one infuriate me. All one need do is download two Blue-ray movies to reach a 100 GB limit...but the poster implies there must be something extra-legal going on. The only legal question is why canada does not have consumer protection laws that would allow suing Videotron for deceptive advertising, luring consumers into signing up and then changing the terms of their service.
Nor is it appropriate to compare to an electrical meter - a better comparison would be a home phone where you sign up for unlimited calling but find out unlimited only means X hours per month.
The problem here is that Videotron was selling something they never had - the infrastructure to support this kind of usage.

Oink · 2007-08-17, 10:09 AM

I vaguely a similar thing happened with Protectron, the alarm company under Quebecor. They wanted to double my monthly rate as simple as that. I think my lawyer advised that they can't change the terms half way through a contract then. I am going to pursue that option first.

This is like, you are such a good customer, so we are going to punish you, be forewarned.

I send dv video to relatives and my last month's total was 60G download and 70G upload. I am however usually below the 80 combined total. Still unlimited is the safest to go. Looking for alternative cable carrier or upgrade my phoneline.

bouche · 2007-08-17, 10:23 AM

Quote:

I send dv video to relatives and my last month's total was 60G download and 70G upload. I am however usually below the 80 combined total. Still unlimited is the safest to go. Looking for alternative cable carrier or upgrade my phoneline.

That's a good point. DV hobbiests would be totally getting screwed. The interesting part of the letter says "that should fully meet your requirements.", but for some people it doesn't. To be honest, 100 GB does meet my current requirements, but what if that were to change? If I get a DV camera and start collaborating with someone on a video project, I would think that my requirements would change.

timekillr · 2007-08-17, 11:50 AM

This is completely ridiculous.

A friend of mine called up Videotron and they basically told him they now have to enforce that policy because some people were running "internet servers" off their connections.

No clue what this means exactly - were people reselling internet connections to people? Or were they running FTPs and such?

It's pretty dumb. I don't want to have to start running a bandwidth limiter again - the only reason why I picked that service was for unlimited bandwidth. The only other alternative is to have business internet for 100$/month for the same speed and bandwidth.

2007-08-14, 02:30 PM	#1
DrAkO Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Montréal, Qc Posts: 393	Videotron put a bandwith limit on his Extreme High Speed Videotron send a letter today to all Extreme High Speed Customers to inform them that from October 1st, the bandwith will not be unlimited. So, now : 10 Mbits download, 900 Kbits upload, unlimited bandwith. After september 30, 2007 : 10 Mbits download, 900 Kbits upload, 100 Go / month, 1.50$ per additionnal gig with no limit...SAME PRICE! So, for example, if you download 200 Go, they cost you 64.90$ (basic price) + 1.50$ x 100 Go = 150$ = 214.90$.

2007-08-16, 06:15 PM	#7
57 Moderator Join Date: May 2002 Location: Toronto, Rogers, 8300HD, eHDD, Panasonic TCP65S1, Denon AVR4310Ci; 8300HD, eHDD & Sony KDL40W3000 Posts: 41,646	They should probably have added the word "you currently enjoy...." or perhaps it was intimated earlier in the letter - I'm not sure what came before your quote. __________________ 57's Home Theatre (Latest equipment/photos) 57's Optimization Services

2007-08-16, 06:32 PM	#8
Kevin007 Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Mascouche, Qc. Posts: 246	I got it too...... that was the only reason why I was on extreme..... unlimited.. now Im gonna downgrade to the reg that only has the 20/10 bandith and let it go over the cap.... to a max of 30$..... only 10ish more $ in total , but it will be unlimited again... and 7mbit is fast enough..... Last edited by Kevin007; 2007-08-16 at 06:44 PM.

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2007-08-16, 12:32 PM	#3
reygar Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 1	ah man, i just got the letter, this is so unfair, they should lower the price for removing a benefit of the service. the unlimited downloads are the only thing keeping me with videotron. gonna start lookin somewhere else.

2007-08-16, 12:53 PM	#4
cprich2007 Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 114	Move to sask and get sasktel cause that only company for unlimited use of internet and also they have hd and sd television. Hope it solves your case with videotron. By the way, where you live when you have videotron?

2007-08-16, 06:06 PM	#5
Dili Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 1	hey all! i'm starting an online petition for this new bandwidth limit! when it's ready i'll post the link! i hope everyone signs!

2007-08-16, 08:39 PM	#9
mont2008 Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 1	I guess They can change their ruls about $30 limited in 20/10 plan

2007-08-17, 09:19 AM	#11
bouche Join Date: May 2005 Location: Gatineau Posts: 144	One of my workmates found the french version of the letter. It's obvious that it was written in french and then translated poorly to english. So the letter in french makes it pretty clear that CURRENTLY we are on unlimited, but that is to change. The english letter makes it sound like we have unlimited transfers, but they will be imposing a bandwidth limit which is ambiguous and seemed like a ploy to trick people. Clearly, they can change their business model if they have to, but I believe if they find it easy to do without any backlash or uproar from the customers, they'll tighten things up even further in the future. I'll definitely let them know that I am not happy about losing the unlimited features of the account.

2007-08-17, 09:59 AM	#12
kyle747 Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Ottawa Posts: 15	How on earth do you legally up/download 100+ gigabytes per month anyways? This is just like newer condos. Everybody is on separate meters now for electricity. If some people want to use electricity like it's going out of style, fine. Just don't expect light users to subsidize them. Same principle here Comments like this one infuriate me. All one need do is download two Blue-ray movies to reach a 100 GB limit...but the poster implies there must be something extra-legal going on. The only legal question is why canada does not have consumer protection laws that would allow suing Videotron for deceptive advertising, luring consumers into signing up and then changing the terms of their service. Nor is it appropriate to compare to an electrical meter - a better comparison would be a home phone where you sign up for unlimited calling but find out unlimited only means X hours per month. The problem here is that Videotron was selling something they never had - the infrastructure to support this kind of usage.

2007-08-17, 10:09 AM	#13
Oink Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 10	I vaguely a similar thing happened with Protectron, the alarm company under Quebecor. They wanted to double my monthly rate as simple as that. I think my lawyer advised that they can't change the terms half way through a contract then. I am going to pursue that option first. This is like, you are such a good customer, so we are going to punish you, be forewarned. I send dv video to relatives and my last month's total was 60G download and 70G upload. I am however usually below the 80 combined total. Still unlimited is the safest to go. Looking for alternative cable carrier or upgrade my phoneline.

2007-08-17, 11:50 AM	#15
timekillr Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 8	This is completely ridiculous. A friend of mine called up Videotron and they basically told him they now have to enforce that policy because some people were running "internet servers" off their connections. No clue what this means exactly - were people reselling internet connections to people? Or were they running FTPs and such? It's pretty dumb. I don't want to have to start running a bandwidth limiter again - the only reason why I picked that service was for unlimited bandwidth. The only other alternative is to have business internet for 100$/month for the same speed and bandwidth.