We’re living in the era of streaming sites. Almost every house uses at least ten connected devices for streaming and downloading movies and shows at the same time.
Online gaming is a craze among people of all ages. Video conferencing has proven to be one of the most useful tools to connect with people from all around the world for personal as well as professional purposes.
Everything You Need to Know About Data Caps
One thing that is common within all these online activities is that they all require heavier data than the average usage. And almost every household is involved in at least one or all of the above-mentioned online activities.
But what makes it difficult for them to continue with heavy internet usage throughout the month? It’s the data caps imposed by the ISPs on their monthly internet plan.
Let’s find out more about data caps:
What are data caps?
Data caps are referred to the restrictions imposed on your internet usage by the service providers. It’s a limit on the data every person gets to use in a monthly cycle. Data caps are considered for both the data you send or receive.
If you have data caps imposed on your internet plan, this means that your ISP is monitoring your data usage, how you’re using it and for what purpose you’re using it.
Each internet activity requires a different amount of data. Some activities like downloading movies or streaming shows in 4K programming uses more data than the usual activities such as using email or web browsing.
A lower data cap means lower bandwidth and the lower your bandwidth is the less you’ll be able to do with your internet connection. Lower bandwidth sounds like a nightmare to online gamers as the risk of latency increases with it.
Several internet providers impose data caps in some or all of their internet plans but there are some ideal options to go for if you don’t want to get into the hassle of constantly worrying about data limitations.
For starters, you can check Windstream internet plans as they claim to offer unlimited data allowance. This will enable smoother online activities and allow you to enjoy ideal speeds on all simultaneously connected devices
What happens if you extend over your monthly data cap?
If you, unfortunately, hit your monthly data cap then two things are likely to happen. Number one, your internet speeds will get slower than usual until your next billing cycle begins. Number two your data will be completely cut off and you will not have access to the internet until the next cycle starts.
Your internet bill generally is increased if you go over you surpass the monthly data allowance mentioned in your internet plan and you will be charged extra according to the excessive data amount you have used after your limit.
How can you avoid surpassing monthly data caps?
If you’ve subscribed to a limited data allowance plan and struggle to avoid surpassing your monthly data caps, here are a few helpful tips to minimize your data usage:
Turn on the data-saving options
Almost all apps have data-saving modes. Keep it on when you think you’re about to reach your monthly data limit. Change your browser setting to maximize the data savings. Avoid web browsing over the mobile phone as they use more data than browsers over computers. Do not allow auto-play on any of the browsers or apps you’re using, instead change the setting to ‘Click-to-Play’. This can help you save your data from getting wasted over unnecessary data consumption.
Remember to turn off streaming sticks
Many people are habitual of leaving their streaming stick on even after turning off the TV. Streaming sticks keep using data for updates thus sharing bandwidth along with other devices.
This could be one of the reasons why you always run out of data before the month-end. So always check if you’re turning off both TV and streaming stick together this will help you with taking care of or limited data plan.
Stream at a lower quality to save data
If you’re constantly binge-watching consider cutting down on the video quality from 1080p to 720p or less, it will save you a good amount of data to last till the end of the month. Watching a video at standard quality is better than having no data left to watch anything at all.
Determine how much data you need
Every house has a different requirement when it comes to data usage. It depends on how much time you spend online or what kind of online activities you usually perform. If you and your family spend a lot of time on streaming sites or you have kids at home who watch the cartoon to sleep then you need to sign up for an unlimited data plan.
But if your online activities usually involve sending and receiving emails, web browsing, or occasional checking updates on social media then a plan with data caps might work for you.
Wrapping it up
The above-mentioned tips are helpful to some extent but chances are that you still cross your data allowance at some point of the month.
So you should switch your ISP and pick one that doesn’t impose data caps on their internet plans. This will save you from the hassle and stress of constantly checking your data usage and worrying about running out of data and paying more for it.
