Andre Yoskowitz
16 Mar 2014 15:16
Last year, Time Warner Cable began offering a data usage cap for some small markets, testing the waters with a voluntary option they call "Essentials."
Users that opt in for Essentials originally got a $5 discount off their bill, but were capped at 5GB per month with $1 per GB overage. Hardly a good deal. TWC changed the offer recently, giving an $8 discount for the 5GB cap, or $5 off for a 30GB cap.
The plans have not seen any traction, however, admits Time Warner Cable CEO Rob Marcus. The number of subscribers that have opted-in is "in the thousands," says the CEO, a fraction of the company's nearly 13 million broadband customers.
Of course, the company is still pursuing the caps, or what it calls "creative pricing." The company continues to introduce other fees, including modem rental fees that continue to increase, and a new "broadband tax."