I suspect their ability to get away with it has an inverse correlation to their customer's ability to understand what's going on. There's probably a little bit

I suspect their ability to get away with it has an inverse correlation to their customer's ability to understand what's going on. There's probably a little bit of the execs having no idea what's going on as well. (They don't strike me as the types who would easily understand the difference you pointed out.) As customers become more knowledgable about what's going on, and why it makes no sense - AT&T et al will either be required to change their business model or someone will eat their lunch. I keep hoping the same thing will happen with the major cable companies as well. Die, Comcast, die.