Comcast Rolling Out 1 TB Data Cap In California Starting Nov. 1

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Comcast is getting back into the data cap business in California, and it could end up costing you

The company will begin rolling out 1 terabyte data caps starting on Nov. 1 in 18 markets, including California.

Comcast, also known as Xfinity, doesn't use "data cap" to describe the new limitations on its service, instead referring to it as "data usage plan."

Users who exceed 1 TB, or 1,000 GB, in usage per month will be hit with a $10 fee for every additional 50 GB of data. Comcast says that won't exceed an additional $200 per month.

The company does allow customers to pay an extra $50 a month for the unlimited data usage they previously enjoyed.

Unlike what traditionally happens with cell phone plans, current Comcast subscribers will not be grandfathered into their unlimited plan and will be switched to a capped plan starting on Nov. 1

Comcast is facing difficulties with its cable TV market as more consumers are opting to cut the cord, rather than pay for cable, which studies have shown has increased nearly 40 percent since 2010. After they cut the cord, users are more likely to rely on video streaming sites such as Netflix, Hulu or CBS All Access.

In 2012, the company abandoned a similar plan to cap customers at 250 GB a month and said it would explore new options. Since then, it has tested out a 300 GB and now 1 TB option in the southeastern United States, avoiding many of the top media markets in the nation.