"Ironically, those who think ISPs are greedy pigs or evil villains because they charge based on consumption through caps or usage-based pricing" That's not the

"Ironically, those who think ISPs are greedy pigs or evil villains because they charge based on consumption through caps or usage-based pricing" That's not the only reason people think ISPs are greedy pigs and evil villains. Their customer satisfaction rankings speak volumes about what people think of the major telcos and cable companies. When they have an effective monopoly, charge vastly more than what companies in a dozen other developed nations charge while providing the same or worse services (often much more and much worse), and treat customers as if they owe the company their business, it shouldn't be surprising that people are deeply unsympathetic to their desire to provide even worse service at even higher prices. They're regulated because it is a market with very little competition at the last mile. And they're regulated because it is an industry that has shown itself to be horrible at self-regulation or moderating the abuse they inflict on consumers (from its very earliest days). I'm all for market solutions, but I'm all out of sympathy for telcos and cable companies when it comes to their crocodile tears.