Comcast and other internet companies, have begun to implement these "caps" and charge their customers more than what their monthly bill is set up to be. These new plans result in what can be a surprise charge added onto your bill if you stream too much content through services such as Netflix.
Netflix reached out to the FCC about the practice saying the following:
"Data caps (especially low data caps) and usage-based pricing (‘UBP') discourage a consumer's consumption of broadband, and may impede the ability of some households to watch Internet television in a manner and amount that they would like. For this reason, the Commission should hold that data caps on fixed-line networks-and low data caps on mobile networks-may unreasonably limit Internet television viewing." They went on to say, "Data caps and UBP raise the cost of using the the connections that consumers have paid for, making it more expensive to watch Internet television."
There doesn't seem to be any real reason why these companies are implementing this new charge; it doesn't cost them much more to run more data, and it doesn't ease any sort of traffic concerns. It appears to be a ploy for making more money, and, in a way, stick to people who are "cutting the cord" so to speak, and streaming content instead of using a cable service.
