Comcast to start charging heavy downloaders extra

(AP) -- Comcast, the country's largest Internet service provider, is going to start charging extra when customers go over a certain monthly data limit.

That limit, however, is very high, starting at 300 gigabytes for basic Internet plans. Only a tiny fraction of Internet users use that much data in a month.

Comcast Corp., based in Philadelphia, said Thursday that it might charge $10 for every 50 gigabytes over that limit.

Comcast has previously limited use to 250 gigabytes per month, but hasn't charged those who exceed that limit. Instead, it's warned them, and threatened repeat offenders with cancellation of their service.

Other home Internet service providers like Time Warner Cable and AT&T have experimented with lower data caps and higher overages, but have met fierce resistance from consumers and politicians.

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