Your data cap is the amount of data you can use on your home internet each month without incurring overage fees or speed slowdowns. Many internet providers impose a monthly data cap of 1 TB, while Xfinity has a cap of 1.2 TB per month. However, there are also internet providers that have no data caps and let you use unlimited data all month.

Which providers have data caps?

The following providers offer data caps of differing amounts along with overage fees of varying degrees. All of them (except for HughesNet and Viasat) also have packages with unlimited data or offer it at an additional monthly charge. Xfinity Cox Mediacom Sparklight HughesNet Viasat AT&T Astound Broadband (WA, OR, and CA only)

Which providers don’t have data caps?

The following providers currently have no data caps on any of their plans: CenturyLink Astound Broadband (in most areas) EarthLink Frontier Windstream Spectrum Optimum T-Mobile Home Internet Verizon 5G Home Internet

What is bandwidth throttling?

Bandwidth throttling is the practice of lowering internet speed (often significantly) for certain users or certain types of traffic. This is typically done when an individual is using excessive amounts of data in a single monthly period. Due to customer backlash, it’s not a very common practice because it involves getting less service than you’re paying for. Throttling is also sometimes used to manage network load during peak times. In these cases, providers may lower bandwidth of some (or all) users slightly to ensure that the network functions as expected for most customers. This is one reason why you may see a lower-than-advertised speed when using a speed test.

Writer

Peter Holslin

Peter Holslin has more than a decade of experience working as a writer and freelance journalist. He graduated with a BA in liberal arts and journalism from New York City’s The New School University in 2008 and went on to contribute to publications like Rolling Stone, VICE, BuzzFeed, and countless others. At HighSpeedInternet.com, he focuses on covering 5G, nerding out about frequency bands and virtual RAN, and producing reviews on emerging services like 5G home internet. He also writes about internet providers and packages, hotspots, VPNs, and Wi-Fi troubleshooting.

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