[1PlanHost]

Actually, bandwidth indeed does have to do with speed. Data transfer and the term bandwidth are sometimes used interchangeably, but they are not the same and it is important to know the difference. Think of bandwidth as how fast data can be moved (how big is the pipe?) and data transfer as how much data is moved through the pipe during a given month. Occasionally one may see the term “Data transfer bandwidth” on web sites but that is not a correct terminology and can lead to confusion among customers. Web hosting companies often contribute to this as well by stating customer get x amount of bandwidth when they really mean x amount of data transfer per month.

I am surprised you would not see any type of caps on your actual bandwidth usage per month. I have been in the hosting business for over 9 years and have always paid for x amount of bandwidth (size of pipe) per month from major carriers such as WorldCom, AT&T, Qwest and Bell South. Most providers have a cap price at x amount of bandwidth and then provide a “burst” range up to higher levels. Many charge a set fee for the 95 percentile range. Usage above that 95% gets charged a higher rate than the lower contracted price when there are consistent increases in usage. For example, let’s say you contract for 20 Mbps Bandwidth at a rate of $4,000 per month but during the next month your requirements to support your customers needs jumps to 25 Mbps over 5% of the time in that month. Your provider would then charge $4,000 for the base rate PLUS a pre-negotiated rate over the base rate for the additional bandwidth you used. There are many arrangements for bandwidth contracts available so be sure to read and understand the fine print carefully.

Best Wishes for a .Net Success!