Cox Communications confirmed that the operator has begun to spread the word to customers about a new unlimited data options week, and that the new policy will be available in “most markets” this week.

DSL Reports said the new unlimited option will cost an additional $50 per month.

In June, Cox said it would offer that unlimited data plan later in the year as it broadened the reach of a usage-based data policy that it originally began to test in Cleveland in 2014.

Cox’s unlimited data option will be similar to one from Comcast that charges an additional $50 per month in markets where it currently implements a data plan.

RELATED: Comcast Deploys 1-Terabyte Data Plan

Under its usage-based data plan, Cox has been charging subscribers $10 for an extra bucket of 50 Gigabytes of data when they exceed their monthly data plan, which has been set at 1 terabyte for most of its speed packages, and 2 TB for customers on its 1 Gig “Gigablast” tier.

According to DSL reports, Cox is also set to implement another usage-based option whereby broadband customers can pay an additional $30 per month for 500 GB of data above their monthly ceiling.

A Cox official noted that the additional price options are for a "very small percentage" of broadband customers who exceed 1 TB of data usage per month.

"The new choices are great options for the small percentage of heavy users who routinely use 1TB+ per month and prefer a flat monthly rate, rather than purchasing additional data blocks,” Cox explained in a memo obtained by DSL Reports.

The memo notes that in markets where Cox has a usage policy in place, customers will still have the option to pay $10 for 50 GB of data, when they need it, adding that less than 2% of customers exceed the amount of data in their plan.

Cox Communications confirmed that it is expanding a usage-based high-speed Internet data policy to several more service areas that will charge subscribers $10 for an extra bucket of 50 GB of data when they exceed their monthly data plans.  

Cox, which has implemented that policy in its Cleveland, Florida and Georgia service areas, is now extending it to systems serving Connecticut; Omaha, Neb.; Northwest Arkansas; Kansas and Sun Valley, Idaho.

DSL Reports reported on the policy update, noting that some Cox customers were receiving notices of a new usage-based policy that would begin on Feb. 20.

The addition of markets that are now part of this policy are reflected on this updated Cox data policy web site for customers.

A spokesman for Cox said the new policy will not impact 99% of its customers. Cox has not announced when it might extend the policy to more areas.

“We have no additional locations to announce today. As decisions are made about any subsequent locations, we will announce these plans to our customers well in advance,” the Cox spokesman said in an email.

Cox recently expanded a monthly 1-Terabyte data limit to most of its high-speed Internet tiers. The exception is Cox’s 1-Gbps “Gigablast” offering, whose monthly limit remains at 2 terabytes.

RELATED: Cox Expands 1-Terabyte Data Usage Limit to Most Speed Tiers

Cox, which provides a meter to help subs track their data usage, sends alerts via browsers, email or an automated outbound call when customers use 85% and 100% of their monthly data plan, and sends additional alerts if usage reaches 125% of their plan.

The FCC has been looking into data cap and zero-rating policies, has not set a timetable on when the Commission would complete its review. It’s not clear how the Commission’s analysis of that issue will proceed under new FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, who is succeeding Tom Wheeler.

Comcast confirmed that it has suspended its usage-based broadband data policy in Maine, a decision that comes soon after the MSO expanded the policy to several markets outside of its Northeast division.

Per DSL Reports and other media outlets, Comcast recently informed high-speed Internet subs in Maine that the policy is being suspended there.

RELATED: Comcast Raising Ceiling for Broadband Data Trials to 1 Terabyte

"We're writing to let you know that we are suspending our Terabyte Internet Data Usage Plan in the state of Maine," the notice said of the change, which becomes effective December 1.

Comcast reasoned that the decision is about aligning the policies for its Maine market with the rest of New England and the Northeast division with respect to areas such as customer care, engineering and operations.

Following a trial period, Comcast recently began the commercial rollout of a usage-based data policy that limits usage to 1 Terabyte (1024 Gigabytes) per month before customers are charged $10 for each additional bucket of 50 GB (but not to exceed $200).  

In those markets, Comcast is also offering an unlimited data option that costs an additional $50 per month, and, for lighter users, a “Flexible Data Option” for customers on its Economy Plus and Performance Starter high-speed tiers that provides an automatic $5 credit if their total monthly usage is less than or equal to 5 GB per month. On that plan, Comcast charges $1 for each 1-GB of data used over the 5 GB threshold.

When Maine is removed from the mix, Comcast will no longer have a data policy for its Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region, and has not announced if or when it will expand the policy to those areas.

In the meantime, the usage plan is active in several other Comcast markets around the country, including parts of Alabama; Arizona; Arkansas; Colorado; Florida; Georgia; Illinois; Indiana; Kansas; Kentucky; Louisiana; Southwestern Michigan; Mississippi; Missouri; Minnesota; Tennessee; Texas; South Carolina; Southwest Virginia; Utah; Washington; and Wisconsin.

RELATED: AT&T to Tweak, Raise Broadband Data Plans

Comcast’s data usage plans don’t apply to Comcast Business Internet subs, customers on “Bulk Internet” agreements, and customers that use the MSO’s new Prepaid Internet service (offered in a handful of markets), or itsFTTP-based Gigabit Pro (symmetrical 2 Gbps) offering.

The FCC is looking into data cap and zero-rating policies, has not set a timetable on when the Commission would complete its review.

Following an initial trial in Cleveland, Cox Communications has expanded a usage-based high-speed Internet data test to its service areas in Florida and Georgia.

A Cox spokesman confirmed that the MSO is exploring usage-based billings in those two additional markets, noting that customers in those areas were notified on Tuesday (October 25).

Cox’s data policy web site, which was updated on Monday, also makes mention of the expansion of the trial data plan, which will charge subs $10 for an extra bucket of 50 gigabytes of data when they exceed their monthly data plan.

According to the site, Cox is providing a grace period for two consecutive bill cycles to help customers in Florida and Georgia get accustomed to the policy change before the operator begins to charge for additional blocks of data. In Florida and Georgia, the grace period starts with data usage cycles that begin on November 21, 2016, Cox noted.

Cox has not announced if or when it intends to extend the usage-based policy to other markets.

Cox recently expanded a monthly 1-Terabyte data limit to most of its high-speed Internet tiers. The exception is Cox’s 1-Gbps “Gigablast” offering, whose monthly limit remains at 2 terabytes.

RELATED: Cox Expands 1-Terabyte Data Usage Limit to Most Speed Tiers

Cox notes that about 99% of its customers are on data plans that “more than adequately meets their monthly household needs.”  

Cox, which provides a meter to help subs track their data usage, sends alerts via browsers, email or an automated outbound call when customers use 85% and 100% of their monthly data plan, and send additional alerts if usage reaches about 120% of their plan.

Comcast, following a trial period, has begun the commercial rollout of a usage-based data policy in the bulk of its markets that limits monthly usage to 1-TB before overage charges are applied. Comcast also offers an unlimited data option.

AT&T has bumped Internet subs on tiers with speeds up to 300 Mbps to 1 TB before overage fees are applied ($10 for an additional bucket of 50 gigabytes of data).  AT&T subs who bundle U-verse Internet with TV service (via the IPTV service or DirecTV) and pay for services on a single bill  get unlimited home Internet data for no additional charge, while other U-verse data subs still have the option to buy an unlimited plan for an additional $30 per month.  Customers on AT&T Fiber service with speeds up to 1 Gbps have been moved to an unlimited data plan.

The FCC is looking into data cap and zero-rating policies, has not set a timetable on when the Commission would complete its review.

Following a trial in several markets, Comcast has begun the commercial rollout of a usage-based data policy that limits usage to 1 Terabyte (1024 Gigabytes) a month before customers are charged $10 for each additional bucket of 50 Gigabytes.

RELATED: Comcast Raising Ceiling for Broadband Data Trials to 1 Terabyte

Per the current policy, those overage charges will not exceed $200 each month no matter how much data a residential customer uses.  Comcast, which is also giving customers two courtesy months before data overage fees would be applied, stressed that about 99% of its customers don’t use more than 1 TB in a month (with median usage of 75 megabytes). Comcast also provides an online tool/meter that shows customers their data usage. Comcast also sends customers an in-browser message and an email when they are approaching or have exceeded 1-TB of usage. Subs can elect to receive those messages, or a text notification, at 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, 100%, 110%, and 125% of 1-TB. A notification will always be sent when a customer reaches 100% of the monthly data plan. 

While critics have held that usage-based broadband policies can help cable operators keep OTT video competition in check, Comcast reiterated in its FAQ that its data plan “is based on a principle of fairness….Those who use more Internet data pay more. And those who use less Internet data, pay less.”

In markets with a data plan, Comcast is also offering an unlimited data option that costs an additional $50 per month, which is higher than the fee of $30 to $35 per month, depending on the market, that the operator had previously been testing.

For light Internet users, Comcast also supports a “Flexible Data Option” for customers on its Economy Plus and Performance Starter high-speed tiers that provides an automatic $5 credit if their total monthly usage is less than or equal to 5 GB per month. On that plan, Comcast charges $1 for each 1-GB of data used over the 5 GB threshold.

Per the FAQ, Comcast’s Terabyte usage plan is active in the following markets: Alabama (excluding the Dothan market); Arizona; Arkansas; Florida (Fort Lauderdale, the Keys, and Miami); Georgia (excluding Southeastern Georgia);  Illinois; Northern Indiana; Kentucky; Louisiana; Maine; Southwestern Michigan; Mississippi; Tennessee; Eastern Texas; South Carolina; and Southwest Virginia.

The plan is set to become effective November 1 in these markets: Alabama (Dothan); California; Colorado; Florida (North Florida, Southwest Florida and West Palm); Southeastern Georgia; Idaho;  Indiana (Indianapolis and Central Indiana; Fort Wayne and Eastern Indiana); Kansas; Michigan (Grand Rapids/Lansing, Detroit, and Eastern Michigan); Minnesota; Missouri; New Mexico; Western Ohio; Oregon; Texas (Houston); Utah; Washington; and Wisconsin.

Comcast markets in the Northeastern U.S. and Mid-Atlantic region, including Washington, D.C., are not yet part of the data plan rollout. Comcast has not announced if it will expand the policy to those areas.

RELATED: AT&T to Tweak, Raise Broadband Data Plans

Comcast’s data usage plans don’t apply to Comcast Business Internet subs, customers on “Bulk Internet” agreements, and customers that use the MSO’s new Prepaid Internet service (offered in a handful of markets), or its FTTP-based Gigabit Pro (symmetrical 2 Gbps) offering.

The FCC is looking into data cap and zero-rating policies, has not set a timetable on when the Commission would complete its review.

To give customers a sense of how much data 1-TB is, Comcast’s FAQ notes that it’s roughly equal to streaming 600 to 700 hours of HD video, playing online games for more than 12,000 hours, or streaming more than 15,000 hours of music. 

Comcast also posted a video to illustrate 1-TB. Watch it below.

AT&T said it will change the data plans and monthly allowances for some wireline broadband customers starting August 21.

U-verse Internet subs on tiers with speeds up to 300 Mbps will see their monthly data ceiling rise to 1 terabyte before overage fees are applied ($10 for an additional bucket of 50 gigabytes of data).

However, customers who bundle U-verse Internet with U-verse TV or DirecTV service and pay for services on a single bill, per the current policy, still get unlimited home Internet data for no additional charge.  Other U-verse data subs still have the option to buy an unlimited plan for an additional $30 per month.

Meanwhile, customers on GigaPower, AT&T’s fiber-based offering with speeds up to 1 Gbps, will be moving to an unlimited data plan.  AT&T has been pairing GigaPower with 1-TB soft caps that charge $10 for each additional bucket of 50 gigabytes, with a max monthly overage charge of $30.

Prior to the new policy, subs on tier with speeds between 768 kbps to 6 Mbps were fixed with 300 GB monthly data allowances, while 12 Mbps to 75 Mbps were set at 600 GB, and those on plans with 100 Mbps to 1 Gbps speeds were set at 1 TB.

“For customers with internet speeds below 12Mbps, this triples their current amount of data; for customers with internet speeds ranging from 12Mbps to 75Mbps, this nearly doubles their current allowance,” Cheryl Choy, AT&T’s VP of data and voice products, said in the announcement.

AT&T has set up a site where customers can estimate, monitor and manage their data usage. AT&T said it will start to notify customers about the updated policies on August 1.

AT&T is also just one of several ISPs to recently adjust broadband usage policies.

Comcast is testing a 1 TB usage plan and an unlimited data option in a subset of markets, with Chicago joining the mix August 1 (subscription required).

Alaska’s GCI bumped the monthly limit of “Red,” its 1 Gbps residential cable modem service, from 750 GB  to 1 TB.

CenturyLink is also testing a usage-based billing policy in Yakima, Wash., but has not committed beyond that.

Alaskan MSO GCI said it has bumped the monthly limit of “Red,” its 1 Gbps residential cable modem service, from 750 gigabytes to 1 terabyte

Customers on Red, which is paired with an upstream that maxes out at 50 Mbps, have the option to purchase additional 30 GB buckets of data for $10 when they exceed their monthly limit.

Under a “No Worries” option launched in January 2015, customers have the option to buy additional buckets of data, upgrade to a different plan, or shift temporarily to a “basic” level of service of less than 1 Mbps with no overages.

GCI said its other No Worries Internet plans will also receive bigger data plans and faster speeds later this year. Currently, it’s 100 Mbps service is paired with a 300 GB limit, alongside 50 Mbps/150 GB, and 10 Mbps/40GB.

“GCI is excited to be the only company is Alaska offering 1 Gig speeds with a terabyte of data each month in communities all over the state - from Anchorage to Fairbanks to Juneau to Mat-Su,” Paul Landes, GCI’s SVP and GM, consumer services, said in a statement.

GCI currently offers the 1-Gig Red tier in Anchorage, Fairbanks, the Mat-Su Borough and Juneau.

Comcast is testing a 1-TB data policy and an unlimited data option in select markets.

Per the conditions tied to its acquisition of  Time Warner Cable, Charter Communications is prohibited from imposing data caps and usage-based data pricing for a period of seven years.

CenturyLink appears poised to join ISPs such as Comcast, AT&T and Mediacom Communications that are testing or have launched usage-based policies for residential broadband services.

Per updated policy data spotted by DSL Reports, CenturyLink plans to kick off a usage-based billing trial in Yakima, Wash., starting July 26, that will charge $10 for a bucket of 50 gigabytes per data when customers exceed their monthly limit.

According to CenturyLink's current data policy FAQ, customers will get a grace period, as they will not be charged for the first two months that they exceed their monthly usage cap.

Customers who are subject to the test policy will receive an electronic “no charge” warning the first two times.  During months that customers are not billed, they’ll receive online alerts when they approach 85% of their data plan.

“Thereafter, if you exceed your usage limit, you will be billed for the overage without additional notice other than electronic alerts as you are approaching your monthly usage limit,” the FAQ notes, adding that those customers will receive online alerts when they are within 65% and 85% of their monthly data allotments.

Under the trial, service plans with speeds up to 7 Mbps can consume up to 300 GB per month, while those that have speeds of more than 7 Mbps will be capped at 600 GB before the usage-based policy is applied.  

The maximum additional monthly data usage charge CenturyLink will bill in the test market is $50, regardless of total usage.  Some CenturyLink customers are excluded from the usage-based trial and the telco’s more widely implemented excessive use policy, including business customers and 1-gig customers.

CenturyLink has not announced the length of the Yakima trial or when it might look to expand it to other markets. The telco has been asked for further comment.

Update: CenturyLink provided this comment: 

CenturyLink is conducting usage-based billing trials in Yakima, WA, to allow customers to control their Internet usage. This gives our customers proactive management of their usage and ensures they are being billed fairly. Very few customers will see any change in what they pay for Internet service, as customers will only be billed an additional amount if they exceed the Internet usage limit for the High-Speed Internet plan they purchased.

CenturyLink will analyze the data from this trial to determine next steps and make decisions regarding further roll-out of usage-based billing.

CenturyLink, which is developing a pair of OTT video products, hinted in February that it was mulling usage-based broadband policies.

"Regarding the metered data plans, we are considering that for second half of the year," CenturyLink CFO Stewart Ewing said at the time. "We think it is important and our competition is using the metered plans today and we think that exploring those starts and trials later this year is our expectation.”

Cox Communications said it has no immediate plans to expand a usage-based data trial launched in Cleveland last May that charges for extra blocks of data once subscribers surpass their monthly allotments. 

Speculation that Cox might push forward with that pilot policy in other markets emerged after the MSO recently tweaked the data policy in other markets that keeps excessive use in check by urging customers to upgrade to other plans that better reflect their data usage.

As reported first by DSL Reports, Cox recently updated its data policies, with the monthly limit on its Ultimate tier (200 Mbps down by 20 Mbps or 300 Mbps down by 30 Mbps upstream, depending on the market) moving from 2 terabytes per month to 1 terabyte, with the monthly ceiling on its 1-Gig Gigablast package at 2 TB.

The change in usage allowances, Cox confirmed “was made this week to more consistently reflect the increased speed and usage included with each Cox Internet package. Ultimate now includes 1 TB of data usage and our Gigablast package includes 2 TB.”

Those changes are effective in all markets where those speeds are available. The exception is in Cleveland, where customers are  grandfathered with the 2 TB data usage allowance for Cox’s Ultimate speed tier.

Cleveland is the site of a usage-based pricing trial where Cox is charging $10 for an additional bucket of 50 gigabytes when customers exceed their monthly data limits.

“We have no immediate plans to extend the trial (the option to pay for additional usage beyond the included allowances within a package) beyond Cleveland,” a Cox official said via email.

On June 1, Comcast initiated a new trial policy in select markets that sets the monthly data bar at 1 TB before overage charges are applied, as well as an unlimited data plan that runs an additional $50 per month.

Per Cox’s FAQ on its data policies, about 95% of its high-speed Internet subs are on a data plan that adequately meets their monthly needs.

Under its current policy, Cox sends alerts by email and Cox browser messages when subs have used 75% of their monthly data plan, and sends out similar alerts when they have reached 100% and 170% of those data ceilings. 

Comcast confirmed that it has been sending letters to broadband customers that will be affected by a new 1 Terabyte (1,024 gigabyte) usage-based broadband policy in several trial markets, including a new wrinkle that will limit monthly overage charges to $200.

The letter (posted here on the DSL Reports user forum) from Comcast Cable EVP of Consumer Services Marcien Jenckes, reiterates that the 1 TB plan takes effect in the test markets on June 1, while also noting that overage charges will not exceed $200 each month, “no matter how much you use – this is a new addition to the plan.”

Comcast announced the 1-TB plan in April, noting that customers who exceed that limit can buy additional buckets of 50 GB of data for $10 each, or move to a new unlimited data plan that runs an additional $50 per month. Previously, Comcast was testing a 300 GB data plan in most of its test markets.

Per the letter from Jenckes, customers who are on Comcast’s original unlimited data plan trial ($35 or $30 per month, depending on the market) can keep that rate through the end of 2016. 

Comcast is currently testing monthly data usage plans in the following markets: Huntsville, Mobile and Tuscaloosa, Ala.; Tucson, Ariz.; Little Rock, Ark.; Fort Lauderdale, the Keys and Miami, Fla.; Atlanta, Augusta and Savannah, Ga.; Central Kentucky; Houma, LaPlace and Shreveport, La.; Maine; Jackson and Tupelo, Miss.; Chattanooga, Greeneville, Johnson City/Gray, Knoxville, Memphis and Nashville, Tenn.; Charleston, S.C.; Galax, Va.

Comcast has also updated its FAQ for the data usage trials that details policies governing the new unlimited data and 1 TB plans in those markets.

Customers who exceed the 1 TB limit during a given month will be notified by email and through an in-browser message that another 50 GB has been allocated to the account. Customers will also get in-browser and email alerts when they reach 90%, 110% and 125% of their monthly plan. Subs can also opt to receive mobile text notifications.

Comcast is also allowing for a grace period to help subscribers get used to the new plan. Starting June 1, all trial markets will move to a two-month courtesy program, meaning that customers will be subject to overage charges if they exceed the monthly data ceiling for a third time in a 12-month period.  Previously, Comcast was granting a three-month grace period.

Under the plan being trialed, Comcast customers can’t roll unused data to a future month.

Comcast is still testing a “Flexible Data Option” for subscribers on its Economy Plus and Performance Starter tiers. That option, for lighter Internet users, provides a $5 credit if customers use 5 GB or less in a month. Customers who exceed that limit are charged $1 per gigabyte beyond the 5 GB limit, up to $200 per month (starting June 1).

Comcast’s FAQ also notes that the median monthly usage has been 60 GB per month during the past six months, and has previously said that more than 99% of its residential high-speed Internet subs don’t come close to using a terabyte of data in a month.

While Comcast has held that the trials are “based on principles of flexibility and fairness,” critics maintain that they in place to generate more broadband revenues while keeping growing over-the-top video competition in check. 

When Comcast announced its decision to shift to a 1 TB usage plan, it drew some unexpected praise from Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, who tweeted: “Huge for me as a Comcast customer. Now I'll never be able to watch enough to hit my cap.”

BendBroadband has recently applied changes to its usage-based broadband policies that favor high-speed Internet customers that also bundle in the MSO’s TV service.

Under the new plan, described in this May 9 blog post that was spotted by DSL Reports, customers who take BendBroadand’s “Bronze” or above Intent speed tiers and bundle in its “Essentials” or above TV service are exempt from the MSO’s usage-based broadband policy.

“More than half of BendBroadband’s internet customers are no longer subject to a monthly data usage allowance under a new initiative that goes into effect today,” explained the Oregon-based MSO, which was acquired by TDS Telecom in 2014.

Non-exempt customers, a group that likely includes cord-cutters that rely heavily on broadband for their video consumption, are still subject to a BendBroadband usage policy that charges $10 for an additional 50 Gigabytes of data above the customer’s monthly limit.

For example, under BendBroadband new “Ultra”-branded set of packages, Ultra 50 package (50 Mbps down by 3 Mbps upstream) sets a monthly data usage ceiling of 250 GB; 500 GB for Ultra 100 (100 Mbps down by 5 Mbps up); and 750 GB for Ultra 300 (300 Mbps down by 10 Mbps up).

The policy shift at BendBroadband comes against the backdrop of an FCC order and condition placed on the Charter-Time Warner Cable merger that bars New Charter fromimposing data caps and usage-based data pricing for a period of seven years.

AT&T, meanwhile, has added an unlimited data plan that cost an extra $30 per month for standalone Internet subs, but is free to broadband subs who bundled with U-verse video or co-owned DirecTV satellite video service and pay on a single bill.

Comcast announced last month that it is moving to a terabyte data plan in all of its usage-based test markets starting June 1.  Customers who go over that 1 TB monthly limit can buy additional buckets of 50 GB of data for $10 each, or move to a new unlimited data plan that runs an additional $50 per month.

Netflix offered its support of the conditions placed on the now-approved merger of Charter Communications and Time Warner Cable, which prevents New Charter from applying broadband caps and interconnection fees.

"Charter’s commitment to an open Internet without interconnection fees or data caps will foster innovation and promote the efficient scaling of the Internet,” Netflix said, in a statement issued Friday. “In applying this policy as a condition across the “New Charter” footprint, the FCC has made sure the merger will support growing consumer demand for all streaming video services."

Netflix, which had railed against the now-scuttled proposed marriage of Comcast and Time Warner Cable, volunteered its support for the Charter-TWC deal in July, when Charter pledged to extend its “settlement-free’ interconnection policy to the systems it would be acquiring from TWC and Bright House Communications. Netflix reluctantly entered paid interconnection deals with Comcast, TWC, AT&T and Verizon Communications (Bright House has been benefiting from the TWC-Netflix agreement), arguing that they violate network neutrality rules.

The conditions on the Charter-TWC deal, which will be in place for seven years, prohibit the combined company from using data caps or usage-based pricing for broadband, and from striking paid, interconnection fees, as well as from anticompetitive programming contracts that would put online video distributors (OVDs) at a disadvantage.  Per those conditions, New Charter must also adhere to the FCC's Open Internet rules no matter what the court decides.

Netflix has moved ahead on an announced plan to introduce a tool that will help subs control how much data they are eating when they stream video over cellular networks.

The tool, designed to help subs keep cellular data caps and data overage charges in check, has a default setting that will let subs stream about three hours of content per 1 Gigabyte of data.

“In terms of bitrates,  that currently amounts to about 600 Kilobits per second,” Eddy Wu, Netflix’s director of product innovation, explained Thursday in this blog post. “Our testing found that, on cellular networks, this setting balances good video quality with lower data usage to help avoid exceeding data caps and incurring overage fees.”

Netflix is introducing the new cellular data-saving feature after the OTT video giant took some heat for reducing the quality of video delivered on AT&T and Verizon cellular networks, but not those operated by T-Mobile or Sprint because the latter had historically implemented “more consumer-friendly policies.” At the time,  AT&T said it was “outraged” by the practice,claiming it was akin to “throttling” those streams without consumer  consent.

Customers on mobile data plans with higher data caps can also adjust cellular video streams to higher bit rates. To get the tool, customers must update their Netflix app for iOS or Android devices to the most current version and select the App Settings element to access the Cellular Data Usage tool.

Per this customer help page, here’s how Netflix’s six data usage settings stack up:

-Off: Customers can stream only when device is connected to WiFi (when connected to WiFi, Netflix’s app will attempt to stream in the highest quality possible based on the connection speed and content they are watching.

-Auto: Netflix will select a data usage setting that balances data usage with good video quality. Currently this will allow you to watch about 3 hours per GB of data.

-Low: Watch about 4 hours per GB of data.

-Medium: Watch about 2 hours per GB of data.

-High: Watch about 1 hour per GB of data.

-Unlimited: Netflix says this setting is recommended only if a customer is on an unlimited data plan. “This setting will stream at the highest possible quality for your device and the content you are viewing. This may use 1 GB per 20 minutes or more depending on your device and network speeds,” Netflix said.

“Our goal is to give you more control and greater choice in managing your data usage whether you’re on an unlimited mobile plan or one that’s more restrictive,” Wu noted, adding that bitrates for the feature could change over time as Netflix develops new ways to boost picture quality and streaming efficiency.

Netflix also allows subs to customize and adjust streams for wired broadband connections. Netflix recently introduced a more efficient encoding scheme that's also designed to help subs reduce their exposure to usage-based broadband policies and data caps.

Netflix also supports Binge On, T-Mobile’s optional video optimization service that limits streams to 480p and exempts partner traffic from its data-usage policies. T-Mobile recently adjusted its policy to provide more info on the option and an easier way for subs to toggle the service on and off. 

Comcast’s controversial trial of usage-based broadband policies in select markets is going up a notch. 

The operator announced in this blog post Thursday that it is moving to a terabyte data plan in all of those test markets starting June 1, a decision that comes soon after the FCC announced several proposed conditions on the pending Charter-Time Warner Cable merger, including one that would prohibit  Charter from imposing data caps and usage-based data pricing for a period of seven years.

Customers who go over that 1 TB monthly limit can buy additional buckets of 50 GB of data for $10 each, or move to a new unlimited data plan that runs an additional $50 per month.

“All the data plans in our trial markets will move from a 300 gigabyte data plan to a terabyte by June 1st, regardless of the speed,” Marcien Jenckes, Comcast Cable’s EVP, consumer services, wrote.

Prior to this coming change, Comcast has been testing several usage-based policies, including an unlimited data option that runs an additional fee of $30 to $35 per month, depending on the market, and only in a subset of its trial markets.

Comcast has also been testing a soft, monthly usage cap of 300 Gigabytes per month that charges $10 for each additional bucket of 50 GB above that threshold (with a “three-month courtesy program” that won’t bill subs the first three times they exceed the monthly limit). Comcast is also testing a more variable usage-based policy in Tucson, Ariz., that adjusts the monthly consumption ceiling based on the speed of the customer’s data tier, as well as a “Flexible-Data Option” for lighter users on the MSO’s Economy Plus and Performance Starter tiers.

Update: Comcast confirmed that customers currently on the unlimited plan in the trial markets can keep their current pricing through end of 2016. They'll also have the option to move to the new 1 TB plan when it takes effect June 1. 

Comcast has not announced if or when it will implement a usage-based policy on a commercial basis. So far, trials have been limited to the following areas: Huntsville, Mobile and Tuscaloosa, Ala.; Tucson; Little Rock, Ark.; Fort Lauderdale, the Keys and Miami, Fla.; Atlanta, Augusta and Savannah, Ga.; Central Kentucky; Houma, LaPlace and Shreveport, La.; Maine; Jackson and Tupelo, Miss.; Chattanooga, Greenville, Johnson City/Gray, Knoxville, Memphis and Nashville, Tenn.; Charleston, S.C.; and Galax, Va. Comcast’s data usage plans do not currently apply to customers on the MSO’s fiber-based Extreme 505 and Gigabit Pro services, and also have not been applied to Comcast business service customers and those on “bulk Internet agreements.”

"We’re currently evaluating our plans to roll this out in other markets, we’ll keep listening – and we'll be open to making further changes in the future to deliver the best high-speed data service to our customers," Jenckes said. 

In those pilot markets, "[W]e have experimented with different offers, listened to feedback, and learned a lot. That is what we said we would do when we launched our trials four years ago – analyze and assess our customers' reaction to the data plans, including being open to increasing them over time."

He said the new data limit on the trial policy “is so high that most of our customers will never have to think about how much data they use.”

Currently, more than 99% of Comcast’s high-speed Internet subs “do not come close to using a terabyte,” he added, noting that the typical sub uses about 60 GB of data, or about 6% of 1 TB, per month. Jenckes also tossed in some figures to illustrate how much 1 TB represents – 700 hours of HD video, playing 12,000 hours of online games, and downloading 60,000 hi-res photos in a month.

Comcast has previously argued that the trials are “based on principles of flexibility and fairness.” Critics of the policies believe they are in place to generate more broadband revenues while keeping growing over-the-top video competition in check. 

Outside of the proposed condition on the Charter-TWC deal, the FCC is also looking into data cap and zero-rating policies, but earlier this month FCC chairman Tom Wheeler said he had no timetable to offer on when the Commission would complete its review.

Suddenlink, the MSO now owned by Altice, is the latest MSO to introduce unlimited data plans for its broadband service, making that option available to customers that subscribe to its two fastest Internet service tiers in a given market.

Suddenlink’s new policy, reported on earlier by Stop The Cap!, takes effect today.  

The policy will vary by market amid ongoing speed upgrades. Suddenlink noted that the top speeds currently offered are 100 Mbps and 150 Mbps; 200 Mbps and 400 Mbps, or 200 Mbps and 1 Gbps, depending on the market.

New customers on those speedier plans and existing customers who upgrade to them will be automatically enrolled in the unlimited plan at no charge the first year, an added $5 a month after 12 months, and an additional $10 per month after 24 months, Suddenlink said.

Customers currently subscribing to Suddenlink’s fastest local broadband offerings also have the option to retain their existing usage-based plans or upgrade to an unlimited plan, the MSO said.

Suddenlink’s legacy data-usage plans charge extra ($10 for an additional bucket of 50 Gigabytes) when customers exceed their monthly limit a third time. FCC chairman Tom Wheeler said this week that the commission would continue to look at ISP data caps and usage-based policies.  

Suddenlink has been expanding the rollout of a DOCSIS 3.0-based 1 Gbps (downstream) residential offering. Under the current plan for Suddenlink’s Operation GigaSpeed initiative, recently committed to by the MSO’s new owner, the operator intends to offer 1-Gig to more than 250 communities in its footprint, or more than 60% of its high-speed Internet sub base, by the end of 2016. Suddenlink has also committed to have speeds of 400 Mbps or more available to more than 70% of its Internet subs by year-end.

Suddenlink, which ended 2015 with 1.22 million residential broadband subs, is the latest U.S. MSO to add an unlimited data option for broadband service. Earlier this week, AT&T added a $30 per month unlimited plan for subs who get standalone U-verse and GigaPower service, but drops that charge if the customer is bundling U-verse TV or DirecTV service and paying on a single bill.  Comcast is trialing an unlimited plan in several markets that costs an additional $30 to $35 per month, depending on the market. 

“The unlimited data plans are one new step toward making our high-speed broadband services widely available to customers while making a quality Internet experience possible over the many devices they use to consume the incredible variety of media now offered over the Internet,” Suddenlink co-president and COO Hakim Boubazine, said in a statement. “As noted before, we are fully committed to moving full-speed ahead with our network investments for our Operation GigaSpeed project and to bring innovations, new technologies and faster Internet speeds to the U.S. market, and making them widely available and accessible to our customers.”

According to Suddenlink’s FAQ on the topic, “relatively few” customers exceed their monthly data plans. Currently, Suddenlink does not let subscribers roll-over unused data to the following month. “Data plans are reset each month, for each billing period,” the FAQ explains. 

The FCC has received more than 13,000 complaints about Comcast’s usage-based broadband data trials, according to a Freedom of Information Act request filed with the Commission by the Cut Cable Today website, which posted its findings yesterday.

Comcast last month expanded its data trials, which include policies with soft monthly caps that charge extra for additional buckets of data, an option for lite users, as well as a newer “unlimited” data option.

Critics of the policies believe that the policies, which aren’t in place to deal with network congestion issues, are in place to juice broadband revenues while keeping growing over-the-top video competition in check.  

Comcast has not announced when it will end the trials or if it intends to make them company-wide policy. For now, the MSO said the tests are providing it with feedback, reiterating that customers are finding the new usage-based policies fairer than the static cap that it discontinued in 2012.

Comcast issued this statement on the subject Wednesday:

“We are conducting data trials in select markets around the country, covering a small percentage of our customers. We designed the various plans we are trialing with a minimum 300 GB/month data plan because more than 90 percent of our customers use less data than that and are not affected. The trials are providing us with invaluable consumer feedback. For example, we surveyed our heavy data users and 80 percent thought our data trials were fairer than our past approach, which was a 250 GB/month static cap. It’s important to note that 10 percent of our customers are consuming nearly 50 percent of all the data on our network. As a result, these trials are based on the principle that those who use more, pay more and those who use less, pay less.”

It's déjà vu all over again.

As it did in 2012 when Comcast introduced a managed IP VOD app for the Xbox 360 that was exempt from the MSO's data usage policies for public high-speed Internet service at the time, the MSO found itself on the defensive again this week as it expanded the reach of Stream TV, its new skinny bundle, IPTV package for smartphones, tablets and PCs.

Some question whether Stream TV, a service for broadband-only customers tailored for so-called cord-cutters, violates network neutrality rules or puts other online video services at a disadvantage because the MSO’s new IP video offering is exempt from usage-based data policies that Comcast is testing in several markets.

As it argued three years ago about an app for the Xbox 360 that drew the ire of Netflix (Comcast pulled the plug on its Xbox 360 app earlier this year), the operator maintains that it’s well within the rules because the Stream TV service uses separately provisioned bandwidth to deliver the service to the home, and isn’t prioritizing traffic or delivering it “over-the-top” using bandwidth that’s set aside for its high-speed Internet services.  In essence, Stream TV treats tablets, PCs and smartphones like a regular set-top box, but uses an IP path into the home (DOCSIS 3.0 modems are flexible in that some tuners can be used for regular high-speed Internet service, while others can be used for managed IP services, while still keeping the traffic from each approach separate).

It’s the same principle that Time Warner Cable and Charter Communications are using for their managed IPTV apps that are being delivered to Roku boxes. Similarly, AT&T dedicates separate IP capacity for its managed IPTV U-verse service to the home, and uses other capacity for its public high-speed Internet service.

"Stream TV is an in-home IP-cable service delivered over Comcast’s cable network, not over the public Internet,” Comcast said in a statement issued Thursday, the same day it launched Stream TV to its second market – Chicago. “IP-cable is not an ‘over-the-top’ streaming video service. Stream enables customers to enjoy their cable TV service on mobile devices in the home delivered over the managed cable network, without the need for additional equipment, like a traditional set-top-box.”

The FCC does address the idea in rules released in December 2014, which explain that “an entity that delivers cable services via IP is a cable operator to the extent it delivers those services as managed video services over its own facilities and within its footprint…IP-based service provided by a cable operator over its facilities and within its footprint must be regulated as a cable service not only because it is compelled by the statutory definitions; it is also good policy, as it ensures that cable operators will continue to be subject to the pro-competitive, consumer-focused regulations that apply to cable even if they provide their services via IP.”

Even outside of Comcast and Stream TV, streaming video policies continue to be a hot topic. T-Mobile’s “Binge On” offering gives mobile customers the option to stream video (at 480p resolution, optimized with a proprietary bandwidth system) from about two dozen content partners, including Sling TV and HBO, without it counting against their cellular data usage caps.

During that announcement, T-Mobile CEO John Legere held that Binge On is “completely in line” with the FCC’s  network-neutrality rules, as no money changes hands, the program is available to any OTT provider, and that the feature is optional -- customers can turn it on or off.  

FCC chairman Tom Wheeler weighed in on Binge On today, praising it as “highly innovative and highly competitive” and an offering that is within the bounds of the commission’s Open Internet order.

Broadening its pursuit of consumers in rural markets while also taking on DSL services and lower-end cable Internet competitors, ViaSat has introduced a new satellite-delivered speed tier under the “Exede” brand that offers up to 25 Mbps downstream that’s delivered via a new WiFi modem.

ViaSat, which has 687,000 subscribers, said its new, speedier modem features a built-in wireless router with dual-band 802.11a/b/g/n, a four-port Gigabit Ethernet router,  and an integrated Exede Voice adapter for the company’s optional home phone service that reduces device clutter, as it eliminates the need for a separate adapter or base station.

The new offering more than doubles the downstream speed supported by Exede’s former high-end offering, which delivers up to 12 Mbps down.  The new 25 Mbps offering is paired with an upstream that provides up to 3 Mbps.

ViaSat said the new WiFi modem with the 25-meg capability is offered in “limited markets” with service plans that start “as low as $10 per month than the cost of Exede 12 Mbps service plans.” According to a company official, the new plan costs $10 extra for most plans, and $20, if added to the company’s promotional $39.99 plan in some areas.

Exede’s 12 Mbps plans start at $59.99 per month (with 10 gigabytes of data); then rise to $99.99 per month (with 18 GB) and $149.99 per month (with a 30 GB data plan).

The new 25 Mbps offering is “just a hint of what’s to come as we prepare for the launch of our next satellite, which will offer even faster speeds nationwide,” Lisa Scalpone, VP of ViaSat’s Braodband Services division, said in a release.

ViaSat’s also been asked to provide more detail on the data plans for the new 25 Mbps offering.

ViaSat’s various data plans include monthly data usage/allowance policies.

ViaSat’s new 25 Mbps Exede service uses the company’s Liberty plans (12 GB/18 GB/30 GB of “priority data,” plus the company’s “Liberty Pass").  In ViaSat’s Freedom areas, the limit is 150GB per month before customers experience reduced speeds until the next monthly billing period starts.

Under the Liberty plans, customers get a monthly supply of “priority data” delivered at the fastest available data speeds. Once that monthly usage threshold is crossed, customers automatically get a “Liberty Pass” that shifts users to speeds of 1 Mbps to 5 Mbps that are based on network traffic levels and typically vary based on the time of day the customer is accessing the service. 

 This video explains the Liberty plans in more simplified detail.

Comcast is expanding the number of markets that are testing the MSO’s usage-based broadband plans, which include policies with soft monthly caps that charge extra for additional buckets of data, as well as a newer “unlimited” data option.

Spotted by DSL Reports and outlined in a Comcast trial FAQ that was updated on November 3, Comcast is testing several usage-based policies:

-A soft, monthly usage cap of 300 Gigabytes per month that charges $10 for each additional bucket of 50 GB above that threshold. Comcast  has also implemented a “three-month courtesy program” meaning customers won’t be billed for the first three times they exceed the monthly 300 GB limit. Comcast is also testing a more variable usage-based policy in Tucson, Ariz., that adjusts the monthly consumption ceiling based on the speed of the customer’s data tier. (In Tucson, Comcast’s Economy Plus through Performance tiers set monthly data thresholds at 300 GB; Performance Starter or Blast! at 350 GB; Blast! Pro at 450 GB; and Extreme at 600 GB. Customers there are also charged $10 for each bucket of 50 GB above those monthly data ceilings).

-A “Flexible-Data Option” that’s tailored for light Internet users on the MSO’s Economy Plus and Performance Starter tiers. That opt-in trial caps usage at 5 GB per month before customers are subject to per-gigabyte fees. Customers who do not exceed the monthly 5 GB ceiling receive a $5 credit, but will be charged an additional $1 per GB consumed beyond the 5 GB threshold.  

-An “Unlimited Data Option” that costs an additional fee of $30 to $35 per month, depending on the market. “The fee is regardless of actual data usage,” Comcast notes in the FAQ.  Comcast first began to trial this option in select parts of Florida on Oct. 1, 2015, noting then that a customer survey with a group of heavy data users found that the majority (60%) “expressed interest in an unlimited data plan option at the predictable, flat price of around $30 a month.”

Comcast is testing the usage-based policies in the following areas: Huntsville, Mobile and Tuscaloosa, Ala.; Tucson, Ariz.; Little Rock, Ark.; Fort Lauderdale, the Keys and Miami, Fla.; Atlanta, Augusta and Savannah, Ga.; Central Kentucky; Houma, LaPlace and Shreveport, La.; Maine; Jackson and Tupelo, Miss.; Chattanooga, Greenville, Johnson City/Gray, Knoxville, Memphis and Nashville, Tenn.; Charleston, S.C.; and Galax, Virginia.

The MSO is trialing its Unlimited Data Option in most, but not all, of the same markets: Huntsville, Mobile and Tuscaloosa, Ala.; Little Rock, Ark.; Fort Lauderdale, the Keys and Miami, Fla.; Atlanta, Augusta and Savannah, Ga; Houma, LaPlace and Shreveport, La.; Jackson and Tupelo, Miss; Chattanooga, Greenville, Johnson City/Gray, Knoxville, Memphis and Nashville, Tenn.; Charleston, S.C., and Galax, Virginia.

Per the updated FAQ, the following Comcast markets are kicking the tires on the Flexible-Data Option: Huntsville, Mobile and Tuscaloosa, Ala.; Little Rock, Ark.; Fresno, Calif. (Economy Plus only); Fort Lauderdale, the Keys and Miami, Fla.; Atlanta, Augusta and Savannah, Ga.; Central Kentucky (Economy Plus only); Houma, LaPlace and Shreveport, La.; Maine (Economy Plus only); Jackson and Tupelo, Miss.; Chattanooga, Greenville, Johnson City/Gray, Knoxville, Memphis and Nashville, Tenn.; Charleston, S.C.; and Galax, Virginia.

Comcast has not announced when or if it intends to expand the data trials to other markets, but notes in the FAQ that the current consumer trials “may be discontinued at any time.”

Comcast’s data usage plans do not currently apply to customers on the MSO’s fiber-based Extreme 505 and Gigabit Pro services, and also do not apply to Comcast business service customers and those on “bulk Internet agreements.”

DSL Reports obtained a copy of a notice being sent to  Comcast customers who will be put on the trials starting December 1, noting that the "median usage for XFINITY Internet customers is 40 GB of data in a month."

The letter also notes that Comcast subs can track usage with the MSO-supplied data meter, and a data usage calculator that estimates a customer’s usage. Subs on the 300 GB data plan will receive a courtesy “in-browser” message and an email when they have reached 90%, 100%, 110%, and 125% of their monthly data usage plan.

While Comcast has previously argued that about 10% of its customers consume almost half of all the data on the operator’s network, holding that the “trials are based on principles of flexibility and fairness.” Critics of the policies believe they are in place to juice broadband revenues while keeping growing over-the-top video competition in check. 

The FCC, meanwhile, is proposing to reclassify some over-the-top video providers as MVPDS. In September, FCC general counsel Jon Sallet said the Commission's media vetting team's opposition to the now-scuttled Comcast-Time Warner Cable merger centered on online video distribution and the combined company's ability to "throw sand in the gears" of online video competitors.

Comcast will soon kick the tires on an  “Unlimited Data Option” in parts of Florida that lets high-speed Internet subs upload data and stream all the video they want for an additional $30 per month.

The trial, spotted by DSL Reports and posted by Comcast here, is an enrollment option that applies only to Comcast subs in Fort Lauderdale, the Keys and Miami, Florida. Comcast will begin testing the new policy there on October 1, and is notifying customers in the area about a month in advance, a Comcast spokesman said. 

“The Unlimited Data Option costs the current additional fee of $30 per calendar month, regardless of actual data usage. The 300 GB plan will not apply to customers who enroll in the Unlimited Data Option,” Comcast explains in the FAQ.

Comcast has been testing usage-based Internet policies in several markets, including Atlanta, Miami, Maine, and Nashville, that fits customers with a soft monthly usage cap of 300 Gigabytes per month. Users who exceed that threshold are subject to a $10 fee for each additional bucket of 50 GB. Comcast has also been testing a more variable usage-based policy in Tucson, Ariz., that adjusts the monthly consumption ceiling based on the speed of the customer’s data tier. Comcast is also testing a “Flexible-Data Option” that’s tailored for light Internet users on the MSO’s 3 Mbps Economy Plus tier. That opt-in trial caps usage at 5 GB per month before customers are subjected to per-gigabyte fees. Customers who do not exceed the monthly 5 GB ceiling receive a $5 credit, but will be charged an additional $1 per GB consumed beyond the 5 GB threshold.  

By way of example, customers on the Unlimited Data Option who consume 530 GB in a given month, will be charged $30 extra. Those on the other usage-based policy would be charged $50 for the additional 250 GB (five blocks of additional 50 GB) provided on top of the 300 GB plan. "Note that customers enrolled in the Unlimited Data Option who use less than 300 GB in a given month will still be charged $30 for that month," Comcast explained. 

The Unlimited Data Option “is a consumer trial and may be discontinued at any time,” the MSO noted, adding that data usage plans currently do not apply to customers on its fiber-based Extreme 505 and Gigabit Pro (2 Gbps) plans, or business Internet subs on “Bulk Internet agreements.”

Comcast’s original 250-GB fixed cap policy was introduced in October 2008, but announced in May 2012 that it would begin to trial “improved data usage management approaches” while suspending enforcement of the old policy. 

Update:  With respect to the new unlimited data policy it’s testing in Florida, Comcast, a spokesman said, found in a customer survey with some heavy data users that 60% “expressed interest in an unlimited data plan option at the predictable, flat price of around $30 a month.”

Comcast, he added, found that about 10% of its customers consume almost half of all the data on the operator’s network, “so these trials are based on principles of flexibility and fairness. They’re flexible, because we got rid of a static cap and they’re fair because we have trials at both ends of the spectrum,” he added noting that heavy data users can pay more to use more while light users on Comcast’s Economy Plus plan can try the aforementioned Flexible Data Plan.

Cox Communications confirmed that it recently raised the data plans for its residential broadband service tiers and will soon post the update on its Website to reflect the changes.

On a tier-by-tier basis, Cox’s new monthly data allowances are now as follows: 

- Starter: 150 GB/month

- Essential: 250 GB/month

- Preferred (Cox’s most popular plan): 350 GB/month

- Premier 700 GB/month

- Ultimate 2,000 GB/month

When Cox raised those limits in February 2013, Starter usage was limited to 30 GB, Essential at 100 GB, Preferred at 250 GB, and Premiere at 300 GB, while Ultimate held steady at 400 GB.

It was not immediately known how the revised policy affects Cox’s fiber-based, 1-Gig G1GABLAST service, which is now being offered in parts of four markets: Phoenix; Orange County, Calif.; Omaha, Neb.; and Las Vegas. The current, posted policy for G1GABLAST in Phoenix, the first market to get the 1-Gig service, shows a monthly data plan of 1 terabyte. 

Update: Cox also  confirmed that 1 TB remains the monthly usage allowance for its 1-Gig residential offering. 

DSL Reports first reported on the revised Cox data usage policies on Friday, citing info posted to its user forum by Cox customers.

Cox’s policy aims to keep excessive use in check and, unlike some policies that have been adopted or are being tested by other MSOs, Cox does not charge extra for additional buckets of data once a consumer breaks through the monthly cap. Speaking at this week’s INTX show in Chicago, industry analysts said usage-based pricing for broadband is inevitable as an increasing amount of video is consumed over-the-top.

“When things get bad enough on the video side, they will have this arrow in their quiver,” Vijay Jayant, Evercore ISI Group’s senior managing director, said.

According to the Cox policy that is currently posted, customers who do exceed their monthly data ceiling will be notified by one or more methods (email, phone, or a message to the PC) before action is taken.

“We will then work proactively with you,” the policy explains. “In many cases, customers are not even aware of their usage because they have an unsecured Wi-Fi network used by others or a computer virus. Cox can work with you to ensure that these issues are identified and corrected. In other cases, customers may choose to reduce their usage or switch to another Internet package that provides more data. In rare cases of extremely high usage, Cox will suspend the user's service until they call Cox. In even rarer cases, Cox will terminate a customer's service if they do not decrease their usage after consultation with Cox.”

Led by better than expected growth in the U.S. and other corners of the globe, Netflix added a record 4.9 million new streaming subs worldwide in the first quarter, soundly beating its forecast of 4.1 million.

Netflix ended the period with 59.62 million subs, and expects to add a more modest 2.5 million in the second quarter.

In the U.S., Netflix added 2.28 million subs, extending its total to 41.40 million. It expects to add 600,000 in the second quarter.

On the international front, Netflix added 2.6 million subs, giving it 20.88 million, and expects to add another 2.9 million in the category during Q2 as it benefits from recent launches in Australia and New Zealand, which adds 8 million broadband subs to its addressable market. Netflix is slating a launch in Japan later this year.

While international subs were on the upswing, Netflix said the strong U.S. dollar hit earnings. Netflix posted net income of $24 million (38 cents per share), versus $53 million (86 cents per share) in the year-ago period. Revenues climbed to $1.4 billion in Q1 versus $1.07 billion in the year ago period.

Those reduced earnings didn’t hurt Netflix’s stock, which is was up $54.54 (11.47%) to $530 each in after-hours trading Wednesday. Netflix also announced it is seeking shareholder approval for an increase in our authorized shares, and that, if approved, expects to recommend a stock split. 

Netflix does not publicize streaming figures on a show-by-show basis, but said the third season of original series House of Cards “had its biggest launch yet in terms of viewers.”

Expect Netflix to keep pressing its original content. 

“We are increasingly spending on the promotion of our original content rather than emphasizing attributes of the Netflix brand and service that are now more familiar to consumers,” Netflix said in a letter to investors. “Early tests in international markets suggest this content focus is aiding member acquisition.”  

Netflix also plans to roll out an enhanced TV UI in the second half of the year, and is working on new ways to promote Netflix originals “using our data to help identify which members would be most likely to enjoy each original title.”

Netflix also said it has had second thoughts about its decision to work with ISPs in Australia on a non-metered version of its service that helped subs sidestep data consumption caps.

Though this sort of zero-rated service is common in Australia, “[w]e should have avoided that and will avoid it going forward,” Netflix said. “Fortunately, most fixed-line ISPs are raising or eliminating data caps in line with our belief that ISPs should provide great video for all services in a market and let consumers do the choosing.”

Netflix also weighed in on HBO Now, HBO’s new stand-alone OTT service, reiterating its believe that Netflix and HBO aren’t substitutes for one another.  It also views virtual MVPDs such as Sling TV and PlayStation Vue “as more competitive to the current pay TV bundle than to Netflix which is lower cost, has exclusive and original content, and is not focused on live television.”

Cable ONE said it will soon start to roll out broadband upgrades for its “Premiere” and “Ultra” tiers that will offer speeds up to 100 Mbps downstream.

Starting in April, subs on the MSO’s 60-Meg Premiere tier will be automatically upgraded to 75 Mbps (downstream) alongside a 5 Mbps upstream, and  Ultra subs will go from 70 Mbps down today to 100 Mbps down, with a 10  Mbps upstream.

Cable ONE, which serves 720,000 customers in 19 states, said it expects speed increases to be implemented across 99% of its footprint by this fall. The operator noted that it has invested nearly $80 million in infrastructures upgrades last year, and has earmarked another $40 million for 2015.

“These new, faster speeds underscore our commitment to delivering the fastest and most reliable Internet service in the markets we serve,” said Joe Felbab, Cable ONE’s VP of marketing, in a statement. “Whether our customers are gaming, streaming, or simply a multi-device home, our new speeds will provide a faster, more seamless Internet experience.”

Cable ONE’s residential Internet plans come with data usage policies. Its 50 Mbps plan comes with a monthly 300 gigabyte allowance, its Premiere plan has a 400 GB allowance, and the Ultra tier has a 500 GB allowance.  If customers exceed those consumption thresholds repeatedly, Cable ONE encourages them to switch to a higher level of service. In 2013, Cable ONE eliminated a policy that charged extra when customers exceeded their monthly data usage caps.

GCI of Alaska has booted up a new set of “No Worries” broadband plans that’s designed to eliminate surprise charges by enabling customers to manage their data consumption through a set of options that become available when they exceed their monthly allotments -- buy buckets of extra data for $10 based on their speed plans, upgrade to a faster tier, or temporarily move to a sub-broadband level of service. 

While operators such as Comcast, Suddenlink Communiations and Mediacom Communications are testing or have rolled out usage-based policies that let subs buy a fixed amount of data when they surpass their monthly consumption thresholds (typically $10 for a bucket of 50 Gigabytes), GCI’s new plan lets customers purchase additional gobs of data that are adjusted (in the range of 5 Gigabytes to 30 GB) based on the speed of their current level of service.

By tier, here’s how GCI’s new plans stack up: 

-R:10 (10 Mbps down/1 Mbps up for $59.99): 40 GB  of fixed monthly usage, with option to buy additional 5 GB data data buckets for $10.

-R:50 (50 Mbps/2 Mbps for $84.99): 150 GB fixed data, and bucket of 10 GB for $10.

-R:100 (100 Mbps/5 Mbps for $134.99): 300 GB fixed data, and bucket of 20 GB for $10.

-re:D (250 Mbps/10 Mbps for $174.99): 600 GB fixed data, and bucket of 30 GB for $10.

Buying extra data isn’t the only option available to customers who reach their monthly ceiling. They can also upgrade to a plan that offers more data, or stay on their current plan until their next billing cycle at a “more basic level of service.”  Update: According to the FAQ (hat tip: DSL Reports), that means "less than 1 Mbps." 

Under that last option, “the connection will no longer be at broadband speeds,” GCI marketing exec Shahid Butt explained via email.  “Consumers will be able to surf the net, check emails, shop online, etc. Consumption of real time entertainment may necessitate the customer adding a bucket or going to the next higher plan.”

The FCC currently defines “broadband” as 4 Mbps down by 1 Mbps upstream, but will soon vote on a proposal to raise it to 25 Mbps/3 Mbps. The National Cable & Telecommunications Association has urged the FCC to tread carefully on the idea. The FCC is also working on new network neutrality rules, with a vote on its proposal expected to tak place in February. 

GCI said its new plans and new policies, introduced last week, were developed based on a series of customer surveys and focus groups over the past several months, finding that customers wanted to have greater control and certainty over their monthly bill.

To help customers keep track of their data consumption, GCI, Butt noted, notifies customers via email when they have reached 80%, 90% and 100% of their monthly data allowance, and provide the same message at 90% and 100% via a browser-based message. GCI, he added, has also introduced an online tool that helps customers track their usage.

“With these new plans, customers pick a speed and data package combination, and if they need additional data usage customers can chose to add a data bucket,” GCI SVP and GM of consumer services Paul Landes said in a statement. “Since customers will make the choice to add a data bucket, there should never be a situation where their monthly bill is a surprise.” 

GCI ended the third quarter of 2014 with 117,000 residential cable modem subscribers.