Which Internet Providers Have Data Caps?

A lot of big-name service providers have data caps. Here’s a quick breakdown of which internet providers we know for sure will cap your data.

What’s a data cap?

A data cap is a monthly limit your internet service provider places on the data you can transfer and receive, but not every provider has one. Your data plan might be unlimited, but if not, you may face an overage charge, or you may have your internet speeds reduced (often called de-prioritization or throttling).

You’ll notice some broadband internet providers have data caps on certain plans but not others. Chances are if your data cap is one terabyte (1 TB), which is roughly 1,000 GB, you should do fine even if you have a big family—unless you’re an avid fan of file-sharing huge files like HD videos or games.

Typically, if a provider’s packages have varying amounts of data, you can expect to pay more to get faster speeds or more data. But each provider varies on what happens if you exceed your data limit.

What’s throttling?

Throttling is when your internet speeds are slowed after you’ve hit the data cap. You may experience slower speeds, especially during peak internet traffic hours. Slower speeds are a bummer if you’re in the middle of a World of Warcraft raid or trying to download the Lord of The Rings saga in 4k at the end of the month.

Some, like AT&T, Cox, and XFINITY, will charge you overage fees for more blocks of data. If you consistently go over your data limit for the month, see if you can upgrade to a higher plan. Otherwise the overage costs won’t be worth it.

While unlimited mobile plans do in fact have a data limit, when an internet company says it’s unlimited, it means it. Here are the providers that have no throttling and no overages for data.

We definitely prefer plans with no or unlimited data caps, even if we’re not close to approaching the typical limits of 1 TB from other providers. We prefer a hassle-free internet experience to keeping track and worrying about your usage.

Broadband data caps can mean an overage fee on your monthly bill, or you may get your speed throttled. If you’re hunting for a new unlimited data plan, you have plenty of options. But if you’re learning about internet service in general, let us help fill your noggin with knowledge.