After being a happy Comcast customer for over one year, I wake up and find out I have no service, it’s not that I didn’t pay my bill or accessed illegal sites; it was because I used too much bandwidth!

I called the corporate office and asked them for a 30 day written notice to discontinue my service because I live in a rural area of California, my telephone service is with Vonage and it is my family’s only access to the outside world. What if I needed emergency services, fire, or ambulance, my children do their homework on the internet, my business correspondence and email, and this would give me time to have a new ISP service installed. They replied that I better call someone else because under no circumstances are they going to reactivate me, I am banned for a period of one year. I received a call back from the abuse department later in the day (Sr. Tech Level #90 ~ no last name) and was told that I better not try to go above their head because this is as high as it goes, I’m in charge and you’re not getting your service back, “period”. I asked for there policy that specifically states the amount of bandwidth customers are allowed to use and was told that it is at their discretion.

I’m a developer and do send large files back and forth with my land use planner, engineer etc… I’m a family man with a wife and two daughters and we all use the internet.

I asked Comcast what their policy was and was told that I received a warning and an email. I mentioned that I received a call late in the evening 4 months ago by a man who threatened to disconnect my service if I don’t stop using the internet as much as I was, I asked for a notice in writing, I never received a notice or any email from Comcast, the call was so out of the blue that I questioned if it could really have been Comcast.

As it is I’m tethered by my cell phone to my PC, and bring my cell phone to my wife’s computer for her to check her email and for the kids to get on the internet for their homework ~ it’s very slow going.

My only option for another ISP is dial-up, satellite, or to bring in a T1 line, which I ordered through Covad/Verizon and is going to cost $329 month and take over 3 weeks for an install.

I was paying $60 month with Comcast last year and upgraded to the 8mg service from the 6mg service last year to $70 month. I originally purchased the 6mg service upgrade and to get a lower internet cost had to also purchase the Comast Cable TV, although we never use it because we already have DirecTV, the local installer told me there is a 3mg line on the street and no way should I pay for the 6mg service, after having my service capped at 90kBs I called and upgraded to the 8mg service which then capped me at 250kBs when loading large files, but was considerably faster than I was getting so I didn’t complain.

When speaking with Comcast after my disconnect, I asked if I can be upgraded to business service as seen in their television ads for $99 month, I told them I’m willing to pay more for the service if that can work for both of us. I was told ~ sure you can upgrade you’ll have to buy $10,000 worth of our equipment and we charge $1500 per month for a T1 line, I mentioned that I’m a one man business with a family and asked if there are any other service they offer ~ no not for you ~ was the reply. Why am I treated like a criminal by Comcast, I’m not stealing their bandwidth, I’m using the service that I was sold and pay for unlimited access to the internet.

I spoke to the California PUC and they got another Comcast representative on the line and told me they could call the abuse department for me, but if they said you’re banned then there’s nothing I can do. I received the paperwork from the FCC and plan to file a complaint, which I was told that Comcast would have 30 days to respond.

It’s not very reassuring that a service company can have such great power to control a universal medium and block individuals from using a service that it has purchased. I don’t know how I can possibly fight such a Goliath and what’s to be gained by pursuing them except the freedom of others to not be outcast and discriminated by a company who has gotten in over their heads offering more bandwidth that they actually have to sell.

For instance my ISP advertises 10 Meg download speeds. I am lucky to get 8 and when the local network is busy maybe 5 (usually from 4pm to 1am). How can the ads be allowed to continue when they are obviously incorrectly representing services?