Internet data caps meaning: Everything you need to know

Internet data caps meaning, how to beat data caps: Everything you need to know

In a lay man\’s term, a data cap is a data limit placed on the amount of data you use on a monthly basics by your internet providers. A data cap is that which accounts for the data you either send or receive.

So you know, your internet provider(s) monitor your internet usage, determine how much data you use monthly. Since different activities you perform require varying volume of data, you should henceforth be mindful of how you use data. Lets say for example, downloading a movie consumes more data than sending an email.

Gone are those days when cell phone provider charged you on the bases of the number of texts that you sent and received or the amount of time you spend talking on your phone each month. In recent times, most phone are designed with a customized plans either unlimited data or allocated amounts large enough that you rarely consider whether or not you\’ll surpass your monthly limit.

Likewise Internet data. Majority of the activities that are performed online consumes more data than the activities done offline – such as sending a text/email.

The type of plan you choose will determines your data cap. Varying amounts of streaming, downloading, and browsing is available to users depending on their pay each month.

Take Note

The amount of data you need is proportional to the time you spend online and whatever activity you do. For someone performing only a Google searches and sending emails will consume less data than when streaming or downloading a movie.

See also: See How To Beat Low Data Caps by Your Internet Service Provider

Interesting thing to know about data caps

Data caps is applicable to mobile phone service plans in addition to home internet plans. Mobile internet use is likely where you will go over your allocated data limit more easily. With advanced mobile phones today, activities such as: surfing through social media, checking of emails, using a navigation app for directions, or even checking the weather data, all drains your data. And if you are not mindful about your data consumption, you can very easily surpass your given limit, resulting in a higher monthly bill.

So, what happens if I go over your data cap?

Whether it\’s intentional or not, going over your data cap generally results in increased charges on your internet subscription. The moment you surpass your allocated amount for the month, your internet provider will charge you based on the amount that you go over. Most of the the providers do charge between $10 and $15 for each additional 50GB being consumed. These rates are generally significantly higher than the rates built into monthly packages.

As such, it\’s important to understand your household\’s data needs and internet habits before you choose an internet data package.

How big are internet data caps?

Internet providers arrange their plans differently. Internet caps often range from 10GB to 150GB. Most providers offer unlimited plans too, but advisably, they aren\’t necessary.

The size of data cap do you need

Before determining the amount of data you need, I will advice that you calculate your average duration/time you spend online either daily/weekly. If you stay alone and you probably turn on your laptop/PC to check your email daily, you will need a small data cap. But if you live with lets say your spouse and children, and you all have iPads, laptops, gaming systems, and other internet compatible devices, you\’ll need a much bigger plan.

So, if your family spends so much time watching Netflix, surfing social media, playing video games, or even downloading of music, you may want consider going for a bigger plan with a high data cap. If you have kids, your household is likely to use a lot more data during summer vacation. But in the winter, you may be able to get away with a much smaller plan.

My final thoughts on data caps

While the concept of data caps may seem complicated, in reality, you just need to be mindful of how much time you spend online and choose a plan that aligns with your usage.

Data Cap FAQs

1. What are data caps on internet?

A data cap (bandwidth cap) is a service provider-imposed limit on the amount of data transferred by a user account at a specified level of throughput over a given time period, for a specified fee. The term applies to both home Internet service and mobile data plans.

What is an example of a data cap?

For example, if your cable Internet provider has a data cap of 300 GB, meaning that you can download up to 300 GB of data or stream enough content from Netflix, Hulu, or YouTube until that limit is reached and you begin incurring overage charges.

What is the purpose of data caps?

A data cap is a limit that internet providers place on the amount of data that each client can use in a given month. A data cap accounts for the data you send and receive. Essentially, this means that your provider is monitoring your internet usage, determining how much data you are using each month.

How do you avoid data cap?

How to Avoid Mobile Data Caps

1. Enable data compression. Some web browsers can compress the data you download to your device.
2. Use a VPN with compression. Some mobile VPNs, like Hotspot Shield, offer data compression to further limit the amount of data you consume.
3. Install data-saving apps.