AT&T Rolls Out DSL, U-Verse Bandwidth Caps

By Marcus Yam
published

Say goodbye to "unlimited streaming"

If you're an AT&T DSL and U-Verse customer, starting today you will need to be monitor just how much of the internet you're enjoying. No longer is your access to the information superhighway an all-you-can-eat affair.

Starting today, AT&T will implement a 150GB monthly usage cap for their DSL customers and a 250GB monthly usage cap for their U-verse users.  Those exceeding the caps consistently will incur overage charges: $10 fee for every additional 50GB consumed beyond the associated cap.

Of course, AT&T will not enforce these caps without a way for customers to monitor their own usage. If you're with AT&T, hit up this My Usage link (opens in new tab) to see if your account is set up for tracking. If it says that it's under construction, then you're still free to download with reckless abandon!

Marcus Yam
Marcus Yam
Marcus Yam served as Tom's Hardware News Director during 2008-2014. He entered tech media in the late 90s and fondly remembers the days when an overclocked Celeron 300A and Voodoo2 SLI comprised a gaming rig with the ultimate street cred.
85 Comments Comment from the forums
  • fyend
    Glad I cancelled my Uverse service last month when I heard they were rolling this out. When the customer service rep asked why I was cancelling I told him it was due to the bandwidth caps and overage charges that they were implementing and he didn't attempt to try talk me out of cancelling. I got the feeling I was probably one of dozens that day who were calling to cancel for the same reason.
    Reply
  • marinecloud
    Well time to find a new service provider!
    Reply
  • mister g
    I didn't know it would take that long for AT&T to implement one, though being stuck on Comcast I was hoping other ISPs wouldn't follow Comcast's example? marine good luck finding another one.
    Reply
  • rodney_ws
    Didn't AT&T just announce record profits?
    Reply
  • jimsocks
    Big issue I have with these bandwidth monitors is accuracy. Once with on one week vacation with computer turned off. Came back and it said I used 5gb. BS.
    Reply
  • berval
    This sucks!!! I switched from stupid Charter and now AT&T goes and does this? I'm out of options. Those are the only two providers in my area.
    Reply
  • twist3d1080
    At&t's networks can't handle all the data from the new wireless Fruit Co. products. They don't want their record profits to go back into their infrastructure. Seems this is a way to lengthen the amount of time that they have to upgrade their network. Glad I'm not a customer.
    Reply
  • ikefu
    This is why you need to contact your local congressman/senator and tell them that you do not want government ISP service contracts. Comcast or AT&T can come in and sign a deal with the government that ensures that no one else can build a cable/dsl network in certain areas to compete.

    This is absolutely wrong and will not change until you start writing letters. We need competition!
    Reply
  • ellarpc
    All this does is inhibit innovation... AT&T is taking us back in time not forward.
    Reply
  • gamerk316
    Didn't AT&T just announce record profits?

    So? That just means they need MORE profits to keep the shareholders happy. And since no company is willing to compete on price anymore, every single ISP will be capped within 5 years, I gurantee it.
    Reply