Internet service provider AT&T has reportedly suspended all broadband usage caps as millions of Americans prepare to work from home or self-quarantine to prevent the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus.
Motherboard reports that AT&T is the first major ISP to suspend broadband usage caps as consumer groups and a coalition of Senators pressure other ISPs to follow suit. Telecom experts told Motherboard that broadband caps and overage fees are not implemented for any technical reason but rather are simply efforts by ISPs to raise prices in an uncompetitive market.
AT&T confirmed to Motherboard that the company would be suspending all data caps stating: “Many of our AT&T Internet customers already have unlimited home internet access, and we are waiving internet data overage for the remaining customers.” While some AT&T users see no usage caps, other users see caps ranging from as little as 150GB to 1TB per month. Users that bypass these limits are faced with penalties upwards of $10 per additional 50GB used.
Recently, a coalition of 17 Senators including Virginia Senator Mark Warner issued a letter to the nation’s biggest ISPs demanding that they stop engaging in practices that critics have long stated is nothing more than price gouging of captive customers. “As organizations around the country formulate their responses to the recent outbreak and spread of the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, we write to discuss the steps that your company is taking to accommodate the unprecedented reliance we will likely see on telepresence services, including telework, online education, telehealth, and remote support services,” the Senators wrote.
“Specifically, we ask that you temporarily suspend broadband caps and associated fees or throttling for all communities affected by COVID-19 and work with public school districts, colleges, and universities to provide free, or at-cost, broadband options for students whose schools close due to COVID-19 who don’t have access at home,” they added.
Consumer advocate groups such as Free Press also expressed their support of the Senators and urged ISPs to cease unnecessary surcharges: “We may all soon be subject to various degrees of social distancing, which will likely involve a heavier reliance on digital communications and a greater demand for data,” the group said in a statement. “Internet providers must ensure that students are still able to learn, employers are still able to conduct business, and we’re all able to communicate with each other without having our connections capped or cut off.”
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship. Follow him on Twitter @LucasNolan or email him at lnolan@breitbart.com
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