Many of us have signed up for an unlimited internet plan, thinking we'd never have to worry about running out of data. While the wording on the plan might suggest worry-free 4K video streaming and limitless game downloads, unlimited often comes with asterisks and conditions. Many unlimited plans hide restrictions behind fair use policies that can significantly hamper your online experience. Data caps, monthly limits on how much data can be downloaded or uploaded, are at the center of this confusion.
Internet service providers set data caps to keep networks running smoothly. In truth, these data caps often generate additional revenue by penalizing customers for using the very services the faster speeds were meant to encourage. A recent CNET survey underscores this frustration. Nearly two-thirds (63%) of US adults reported paying as much as $195 more for internet service in 2024, yet more than half still experienced unreliable connectivity. We will help you navigate misleading data promises and avoid surprise fees to find truly unlimited internet options.
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Locating local internet providers
Hard data caps versus soft data caps
Not all data caps are created equally. Some internet service providers enforce hard caps that cut off your internet access or charge extra once a predetermined data threshold is exceeded. Other internet service providers use soft caps, which don't deliver immediate fees but throttle your speeds, often dramatically, once you've crossed the data limit.
We spoke with Luke Kehoe, an industry analyst at Ookla, who confirmed, "Many plans have 'fair use' thresholds that trigger throttling or deprioritization rather than overage fees, which can still materially impact real-world performance at busy times." (Disclaimer: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)
Locating local internet providers
Another point of contention is how some providers treat different types of household usage. For example, a plan may allow unlimited video streaming but restrict bandwidth-heavy tasks like large cloud backups or peer-to-peer transfers. These limits can catch customers off-guard if not properly declared, causing frustration when everyday tasks slow to a crawl when bandwidth limits are reached.
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