Comcast has huge pipes, but it doesn't really want people to use them. It's a funny thing, notes MultiMedia Intelligence, a research firm, that Comcast is beefing up its service while simultaneously limiting people's use of its network.
"There are many hypotheses as to why Comcast would implement wider pipes and bandwidth caps simultaneously. Some assert the bandwidth caps are meant to discourage uptake of video services outside Comcast’s network. Others assert that these actions portend a fully metered service (e.g. pay for bits). With the same caps and faster speeds, the only thing you accomplish is reaching the limit that much faster," said the MultiMedia Intelligence report.
The issue is further complicated by the fact that Comcast has had remarkable results testing P2P, which improved download times by 80 percent. If Comcast can boost network capacity by using P2P, the bandwidth caps seem even more perplexing.
