Will Coronavirus Outbreak Result In Lifting Data Caps Forever?

Home internet users have always been living under a constant threat of diminishing data caps. With the Coronavirus outbreak, people are forced to stay home and attend meetings via video or audio conferencing. With the time of distress surrounding, people prefer to stay in and pass their time by watching YouTube and other streaming services. All this means a large amount of data is being used due to video conferencing and streaming services. Amidst this, broadband companies have loosened up their despotic restrictions, which might lead to the end of data caps.

This is one of the crucial times, and with thrusting official policies of social distancing, people are more of a cat on a hot tin roof.

As a result of the #coronavirus people across this country are going to be asked to move work and learning online. So NOW is a really good time for the FCC to take action to get our nation’s broadband providers to lift data caps and remove overage fees. https://t.co/1qJV7whVsR

— Jessica Rosenworcel (@JRosenworcel) March 12, 2020

How Have Broadband Companies Stepped Up To Help The Anxious Customers?

Many broadband companies have extended a hand by bringing user-friendly policy changes. Some of them are Comcast, AT&T, and more. AT&T is waiving data caps for all its customers for the time being. Comcast is expanding the bandwidth of its low-income internet essential customers to an extent as much as broadband per FCC rules.

With Verizon adding $500 million to its 5G release plans, they are ready for the traffic rise. These are not the only companies who have stepped up, voluntarily or at the request of the state or country government; everywhere in the world, broadband companies have extended a helping hand.

Why The Step?

Now, the question arises why these changes have been implied. If this hadn’t been done, there could have been two atrocious results. One, when these companies would charge customers extra charges for using more data, it could result in outrage. It wasn’t their choice to stay at home and work for a month.

Another reason is that somewhere everyone knows that these data caps are just a medium of taking more money from subscribers. With irrational and upsetting policies, ISPs had always been the upper hand & have been earning extra cash along with the subscription fee. However, with ISPs, now being lenient about the data caps and expanding the bandwidth, they could have repercussions in the future. This action has raised a lot of questions. If these data caps are necessary, why would these companies agree or think to remove them now? Is there a need for data caps altogether? If ISPs can manage to provide the internet without data caps for a month, then why the hell do data caps exist in the first place? Don’t you think it is a valid point?

Was There Ever A Need For Establishing Data Caps?

For years, ISPs have given numerous excuses and extorted us by charging us extra fees. With this epidemic spreading, ISPs are eliminating data caps, which were previously taking overage charges from customers. Is it ironic? We don’t care about the reason behind lifting data caps; we are happy it is finally happening. However,  whenever this Coronavirus outbreak comes under control and ISPs would want to reestablish data caps again, they could face a significant setback.