ADSL cap: how much is too much?

Alastair Otter

Alastair Otter is a senior journalist at MyBroadband, and focuses on software and hardware. He has a particular love for Open Source Software (OSS)...

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Monthly usage limits, also known as caps, have been around since ADSL was launched in late 2002. Telkom initially launched a 512Kbps ADSL service with a 3GB cap and unlimited local bandwidth.  

Little has changed since 2002. Most Telkom ADSL subscribers have blended bandwidth (which includes international access) caps of 1GB, 2GB or 3GB with free local bandwidth of 10GB, 20GB and 30GB respectively.  

These low usage limits mean that most Telkom Internet subscribers closely monitor their monthly bandwidth usage to avoid the unpleasant surprise of reaching their "cap" and losing international access.

One of the advantages of Telkom Internet is that it does not cut users off immediate after they reach their monthly usage limit, but rather at a "monthly threshold" value which is always higher than the actual cap. This threshold varies from month to month and from user to user, and it is therefore difficult to establish exactly how much bandwidth usage is too much.

When users were capped
MyBroadband did a short survey among Telkom Internet subscribers to establish when they were capped, and the result can give a rough idea of Telkom Internet’s monthly threshold value.  

According to feedback, for 1GB subscribers the average monthly cap value ranged between 1.52GB and 1.77GB, with over 70% of users reporting being capped between 1.5GB and 1.6GB. The average cap value was 1.59GB, just over 150% of the actual monthly usage limit of 1GB.

Telkom Internet 2GB subscribers were nearly all capped between 3GB and 3.1GB, with an average monthly cap value of 3.04GB. This is again very close to 150% of the advertised monthly usage limit of 2GB.

3GB subscribers showed the largest range with the value at which users were capped ranging between 3.5GB and 5.86GB. Most users were, however, capped between 4.5GB and 4.7GB with an average cap value of 4.68GB. This is again only slightly higher than 150% of the monthly usage limit of 3GB associated with these accounts.

From this short analysis it seems clear that users can expect to be capped at around 150% of their actual monthly usage limit. Telkom Internet, however, warned that the monthly threshold changes from month to month and from user to user – something which is evident from the range of values reported by subscribers.

Telkom Internet ADSL capping – give your views