Christmas downloads could take a big byte out of broadband limits

At some point over the Christmas period millions of families across the UK will sit down and watch a film.

Anybody who is sick of the traditional Christmas TV repeats may turn to streaming and renting films online.

Thanks to the wonders of internet TV, gaming consoles and other devices, using your television as a glorified computer is fast becoming the norm. This brings the chance to watch the latest films, but also brings the accompanying rise in your bill.

Google, Apple, and several DVD rental companies such as Lovefilm offer thousands of the latest titles and TV shows for people to watch by simply downloading them.

With millions also eager to test out the latest streaming technology, broadband limits could be firmly stretched. Families with teenagers could be the most at risk from going overboard on internet data as they download numerous TV shows, films or songs which take up data.

According to Ofcom, the average family uses 17 gigabytes GB of data per month and most broadband contracts have a limit of 20 GB a month.

Dangerous amounts of downloading could exceed data limits on your internet contract. This could see you go into the New Year with huge fees and charges for extra use, on top of a hefty bill. Some broadband providers may even reduce your speed to prevent you from downloading further.

BT’s basic broadband package, which costs £13 a month, has a 10 GB limit and charges an extra £5 for every 5GB used over the limit.

With the average two hour high definition film using around 4GB of data, if a family was to download three high definition films a month they could face additional charges of £20, adding to debt some cannot afford.

Speaking to This is Money, Charlie Ponsonby, Chief Executive of broadband comparison site Simplifydigital, said; “Just two or three years ago, few families came close to going over their data limits. Today, households are downloading far more content from the internet without even realising it.”
 

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2011-12-21 12:24:22 © Moneyextra.com