Comcast delays Internet data cap expansion in NE states until 2022

Late last year, Comcast revealed that it would be expanding its 1.2TB Internet data cap to the remaining states that hadn't yet received them — a change that was originally scheduled to start next month. Not too long ago, the company said it would delay the data caps until July, but now it is back with yet another update.

The data cap expansion will cover the Northeast region of the US, including a dozen states, Washington DC, and parts of North Carolina and Ohio. The states that already have Comcast's 1.2TB data cap won't see any changes, but for those in the Northeastern US, there's now a reprieve until some time next year.

Earlier this month, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro's office announced that it and Comcast had reached a deal that would, among other things, delay the data cap until July. In a new update, Comcast announced that it has decided to delay the rollout until 2022, stating the reason for its decision:

We recognize that our data plan was new for our customers in the Northeast, and while only a very small percentage of customers need additional data, we are providing them with more time to become familiar with the new plan.

Critics have pointed out that a pandemic in which many people are now working and studying from home is a bad time to introduce data caps with overage fees. Comcast doesn't mention whether the pandemic influenced its decision to delay the data caps, but regardless, Northeast customers will be able to avoid the overage fees — for now.