TWC Usage Tracker

[Bebop]

I just logged on to my account and noticed there is a usage tracker. I hope it's not prelude to metering.

[ArgMeMatey]

I hope it's not prelude to metering.

As I heard somewhere a long time ago, "Hope alone is rarely effective."  

Without regulation or viable non-metered alternatives, the duopoly will continue to find ways to replace declining revenues in pay TV and voice.  

The days of cheap unmetered internet are behind us.  That's bad news for people like me, who cut the cord a decade ago and aren't simply going to shift payments from one stream to another.

[kevbeck122]

The usage tracker has been there since at least December.

They offer a $5 "essentials" discount if you want to go with a 5GB cap.  Pretty useless nowadays unless you just browse the web w/o streaming or anything, plus the discount isn't that great... http://www.timewarnercable.com/en/residential-home/support/faqs/faqs-internet/internetus/plans/what-is-time-warner-cable-esse.html

Otherwise they say there won't be a cap on the regular plans, but plans are subject to price increases like usual.

[gparris]

My Signature Home people told me that they see no cap enforcement in the immediate future, only increases for RR service and that is why they only offer 50 Mbps download vs. Comcast 100+ like other providers, too.They are trying to keep costs down and still provide reasonable service. I have the 50 and its more than enough, but 75 would be nice when everyone gets their tablets turned on at home and some is working from home at night.

[cdnelson]

I wasn't aware this was out there. I also wasn't aware of how much usage I had.  I know the kids use their Roku boxes quite a bit, and my son is a fiend for some online games...but  yikes.

Is 95Gb in a month a lot?  That was April.

[gparris]

I see where you folks are getting this data from, our usage is been between 13-18 Gb with us working from home and some phones and tablets added. 95 Gb seems to be a bit more than we'll ever use, must be a lot of online gaming going on. :huh?:

[cdnelson]

Well let's see...

1 phone
2 iPod touch
3 Kindles (not Kindle Fire...so these don't account for much)
2 laptops
2 desktops
3 Roku boxes
Xbox
Wii
1 "Smart" Blu-Ray

The daughter streams a TON of anime, the boy likes to watch YouTube videos alot.
He also Skypes with his buddies while online gaming as well.
My wife and I watch a movie every once in a while, but I think the lion's share of this is the kids.

I'm thinking it has to be the YouTube and the streaming as I can't think of anything else we do that would be that big of "bandwidth suck".

If we do get capped, the kids will have to seriously rethink their habits.

[Bebop]

The TWC bandwidth monitor is accurate. The usage matched that of my router's.

Water meter, electric meter and now Internet meter.  The sewage line will be next

[ArgMeMatey]

The TWC bandwidth monitor is accurate. The usage matched that of my router's.

Water meter, electric meter and now Internet meter.  The sewage line will be next

I'm not saying the metering is imminent, but no one could argue that they are giving you access to a meter just for the fun of it.  

A key difference setting data apart from other metered services is that unlike talking on the phone for fewer minutes, unplugging vampire chargers and fixing dripping faucets, it can be very difficult for the layman to determine how much data a particular app or service is using, let alone uninstall or limit it.  It can be more like being billed for incoming text messages, over which you have little or no control.  

I wouldn't mind a sewer meter, at least during summers like last year's, when we dumped a great deal of water on the lawn, rather than in the sewer.