Unlimited, Except When It's Not

Filed in archive Companies , Consumer Rights on April 10, 2007

One of the Internet's dirty secrets is that there are limits. Now that's fine, as long as companies are up front and honest about it.

Verizon steps over the line with its advertising of the EVDO Wireless Data Service, which it advertises as Unlimited. Only it's not. And you don't find that until you read the user agreement, if you ever read it.

Here is an except that shows prohibited uses such as P2P and the monthly 5 GB limit.

"Examples of prohibited uses include, without limitation, the following: (i) continuous uploading, downloading or streaming of audio or video programming or games; (ii) server devices or host computer applications, including, but not limited to, Web camera posts or broadcasts, automatic data feeds, automated machine to machine connections or peer to peer (P2P) file sharing; or (iii) as a substitute or backup for private lines or dedicated data connections. ...

"A person engaged in prohibited uses, continuously for one hour, could typically use 100 to 200 MBs, or, if engaged in prohibited uses for 10 hours a day, 7 days a week, could use more than 5 GBs in a month. ...

"Anyone using more than 5 GB per line in a given month is presumed to be using the service in a manner prohibited above, and we reserve the right to immediately terminate the service of any such person without notice."