The Unlimited Bandwidth Myth
When choosing a hosting plan, a big sell is “unlimited” bandwidth. The problem? It is probably not unlimited in the black and white version of the word the way we read it. This article at FindMyHosting.com explains the truth behind unlimited hosting:
The Attraction to Unlimited
When consumers decide they want to place a website on the internet, they are often unaware of the fact that there are limitations. Unlimited is attractive because it requires no further thought. If it’s unlimited then I never need to worry about running out right? Although this is understandable, there are risks with purchasing unlimited plans.
As cliche’ as it sounds, read the fine print whether in miniature lettering in the Terms of Service agreement or in the footer of the web page.
The Unlimited Myth
Many web hosting companies offer “unlimited” as a plan feature. It is impossible for any provider to actually provide an unlimited amount of bandwidth or disk space. It’s just not possible.
For web hosts, the attraction of providing such a plan is in the hopes that the majority of their clients will never actually reach the point of exceeding the bandwidth/disk usage limits that would, in turn, push their profits of service sales into the ground.
So Why Do Unlimited Plans Exist?
Most websites only consume a very small amount of bandwidth and disk space. Web hosting companies that provide unlimited anything as a plan feature are banking on the fact that you won’t use very much. Unlimited is a marketing trick to get your business. The web hosting market is very competitive. Although selling plans that pretend to be unlimited can seem dishonest, it does not mean that the hosting company will not provide good service. Check in the hosting company’s Terms of Service: there will probably be a note about what “unlimited” really means.
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