The subject of "Data caps" has been on the front page of the wireless press of late, but "wired" users such as I haven't been much concerned.
I came across a copy of a Philadelphia Inquirer column by Jeff Gelles at Businessweek.com. It seems that the Internet playing field is once more being tilted toward pay-by-the-byte billing: after mentioning cellular data caps, Mr. Gelles segued into more scary territory:
It's clear enough what AT&T and Verizon are doing, even if they don't want to say so: Both have decided to cash in on customers who use the most data and are pushing them to switch to tiered plans.
Something very different is happening in the wired-broadband world, though likely with similar motives. According to Telogical Systems, five of the nation's seven largest broadband providers now impose monthly data caps. Four of them -- Comcast, CenturyLink, Charter Communications, and Cox -- say they will suspend customers who violate the caps. The fifth, AT&T, charges $10 for each extra 50 gigabytes.