▁its ▁broad band ▁service ▁on ▁October ▁ 1 , ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁combining ▁both ▁upload ▁and ▁download ▁towards ▁the ▁month ly ▁limit . ▁If ▁a ▁user ▁exceed ed ▁the ▁cap ▁three ▁times ▁within ▁six ▁months , ▁the ▁customer ' s ▁resident ial ▁services ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁terminated ▁for ▁one ▁year . ▁A ▁sp ok esp erson ▁stated ▁that ▁this ▁policy ▁had ▁been ▁in ▁place ▁for ▁some ▁time , ▁but ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁Com cast ▁has ▁announced ▁a ▁specific ▁usage ▁limit . ▁ ▁As ▁the ▁cap ▁prov oked ▁a ▁strongly ▁negative ▁reaction ▁from ▁some , ▁Com cast ▁decided ▁to ▁modify ▁its ▁policy ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 2 . ▁Under ▁the ▁new ▁system , ▁the ▁cap ▁was ▁replaced ▁with ▁a ▁data ▁threshold ▁and ▁increased ▁to ▁ 3 0 0 GB ▁in ▁some ▁mark ets , ▁and ▁consum ers ▁who ▁exceed ▁this ▁threshold ▁are ▁charged ▁$ 1 0 ▁for ▁every ▁ 5 0   GB ▁above ▁the ▁limit . ▁Custom ers ▁could ▁purchase ▁a ▁$ 3 0 ▁add - on ▁for ▁" un limited " ▁data . ▁In ▁a ▁le aked ▁mem o , ▁Com cast ▁employees ▁were ▁instruct ed ▁to ▁state ▁that ▁the ▁policy ▁is ▁for ▁" F air ness ▁and ▁providing ▁a ▁more ▁flexible ▁policy ▁to ▁our ▁customers ", ▁and ▁not ▁for ▁cont rolling ▁network ▁con g estion . ▁ ▁On ▁April ▁ 2 7 , ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁Com cast ▁announced ▁that ▁it ▁would ▁raise ▁its ▁data ▁threshold ▁in ▁trial ▁mark ets ▁to ▁ 1