said by KrK:said by voipdabbler:However, those cable profits can easily vanish in a heartbeat if they get too greedy, and this metered billing plan is extremely greedy.
That's the plan to INCREASE profits. It will work too, because all the big boys are rolling this out everywhere, so basically the consumer has nowhere to go--- they just get to pick the corporate logo that's on the shaft that's rammed up their asses.
I don't think it will be as easy for the "big boys" to roll out these type of metered plans with the FCC under a new chairman. The acting chair as well as the nominee for chairman both are firm believers in net neutrality. The big boys aren't dumb pipe owners, they sell content and services. (Granted, if the IRS and FCC act before 31 March to approve the spinoff of Time Warner Cable, TWC will be a separate entity from Time Warner. However, TWC's close relationshp with TW will still possibly be suspect, depending on how they may treat any of TW's content or services.) The big boys tend to be so greedy that they try to position their content and services in such a way as to have "caps" not apply. This won't fly under the FCC now that Martin and some of the other members are out. Watch Comcast's VOIP issues--it will be very telling. I expect they'll go to court on the issue, but I think Comcast's in for an uphill fight. DoJ is going to be aggressive under the new administration, too.
Some of the more aggressive states' attorneys general, like Cuomo in NY, may get into the middle of the frey, too. There are potentially more state statutes that, depending on whether the big boys are marching in lockstep, may come into play and warrant state action.