Rhodri Marsden: Cyberclinic

Which internet providers won't impose data limits?

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Q. How can I tell which internet service providers (ISPs) won't impose limits on the amount of data I download before I sign up?

A survey taken last year by the Internet Service Providers' Association states that only 20 per cent of new broadband customers take notice of usage restrictions. This may be because many ISPs proclaim their service as unlimited - or, commonly, "unlimited*" - while burying details of any limits, or caps, within the small print. "I'm astonished that the advertising regulators seem to allow this," writes Ben Lane.

Although data isn't a finite resource, the more of it we want, the more it costs the ISPs to provide it, and we're slowly becoming aware that the more we pay, the more we get. "I voluntarily chose a capped service," writes Jo Mackereth, "because it's cheaper and I don't use BitTorrent, or YouTube." Indeed, many ISPs can only sustain their business models because of users like Jo, who surf irregularly and perhaps check their e-mail twice a day. But as new internet applications take advantage of higher connection speeds, we're all slowly slipping into the "heavy user" bracket - even without getting involved in potentially dubious practices such as file-sharing.

Innocuous services such as the BBC website's "Listen Again" feature, or using internet telephony to make cheap international calls, add substantially to data consumption. Part of the problem is that barely anyone - myself included - has any idea of how much data they download in one month, because visible metering is rarely offered by ISPs. "I was amazed when I discovered that I shifted nearly 1Gb of data during one day playing games online," writes Nick Sefton. Some panic-stricken ISPs, seemingly unprepared for intensive, legal usage of their service, are responding by reducing the connection speed of heavy users, and, in some cases, terminating accounts. The "offenders", of course, are furious, having signed up to what they understood to be an unlimited service.

As a rule, if it's cheap - under £20 per month - it won't be unlimited. And if it's more expensive, it's probably capped to some extent. "My service with Zen Internet is quite expensive - £34.99 a month - but it's reliable," writes Jon Deeks. "I've no idea how I'd reach its 50Gb monthly limit." Jon's conclusion isn't future-proof, but 50Gb could be considered generous in the current climate. But always check the small print, as some ISPs have a more miserly idea of what constitutes "fair usage".

Diagnosis required

Next week's question comes from Louise Stannard:

"Geeks seem to get very worked up over something called Web 2.0 - but what is it supposed to be? And should I care?" Any comments, and new questions for the Cyberclinic, should be e-mailed to cyberclinic@independent.co.uk.

cyberclinic@independent.co.uk