Now cable companies are looking at 'usage based' billing.

First they came for our unlimited data plans on our mobile phones, now they coming after our cable. I have a friend in France that pays roughly $50(American) for 100MB, free calls to all of Europe and 150 channels. Our speeds should be getting faster and cheaper like our computers, TV and mobile devices. Oh, that's right... there are about 20-50 companies making each of those...

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-30/netflix-viewing-seen-swelling-u-s-cable-bills-next-year-tech.html

Time Warner Cable Inc. (TWC) and U.S. pay- TV companies, weighing how to profit from surging Internet demand spurred by Netflix Inc. (NFLX) and Hulu, are on the verge of instituting new fees on Web-access customers who use the most.

At least one major cable operator will institute so-called usage-based billing next year, predicts Craig Moffett, an analyst with Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. in New York. He said Cox Communications Inc., Charter Communications Inc. (CHTR) or Time Warner Cable may be first to charge Web-access customers for the amount of data they consume, not just transmission speed.

Thank god we deregulated the cable industry to "lower our prices" and "provide more competition".

This is simply the cable companies following the lead of the airlines - how much can we fleece our customers for by charging for luggage, blankets, smiles. Rather than striving to make more money by being more competitive, less wasteful, and offering customers more, far too many American industries are now looking for the quick, easy buck.