NEW YORK—Comcast is further expanding its Internet data caps to new markets in five Southern states.
The cable company is rolling out more caps as the Internet becomes an increasingly popular way to watch TV. Streaming video eats up more data than surfing the Internet and reading email. Comcast this year became a company with more Internet than TV customers.
Public-interest groups criticize the caps, saying they hurt innovation and make it more difficult for people to go online.
The Philadelphia company has had data caps in a small chunk of its market since 2012. In most markets, customers were charged $10 for every 50 gigabytes they went over a 300 GB limit.
In October, it rolled that cap out for customers in southern Florida, while adding an “unlimited” plan for an extra fee there and in Atlanta—the first changes since December 2013. Those changes meant that about 12 percent of Comcast’s market was affected, according to MoffettNathanson analyst Craig Moffett.
