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They /all/ want in on the action is why they aren't complaining. Every single one of them has a plan in place or is planning to try to achieve the same data cap

They /all/ want in on the action is why they aren't complaining. Every single one of them has a plan in place or is planning to try to achieve the same data cap mechanism for extracting additional money from those '2%' [which will magically grow over time to a much larger % because BW usage grows much, much faster than 200gb in 5 years.] AT&T has had 150gb & 250gb caps. TWC is trying to do something similar in a different way: http://bgr.com/2014/03/13/time-warner-cable-data-caps-rejected/ http://bgr.com/2014/03/13/time-warner-cable-data-caps-reject... “Despite the extremely low uptake rate, Marcus said he thinks there’s an important principle for the company to establish: The more data customers use, the more money they should pay,” Charter does too: http://www.myaccount.charter.com/customers/support.aspx?supportarticleid=2124#measuring http://www.myaccount.charter.com/customers/support.aspx?supp... Etc.

bediger4000 12y ago
So this is collusion to increase monopoly rents? I realize that it's hard to prove collusion, but still...
- opendais 12y ago
  Collusion in the sense they all operate from the same playbook. It isn't any more 'collusion' than DuckDuckGo and Google 'collude'. They operate from the same playbook [e.g. I make money from ads providing search content] and optimize revenues based on their goals. DuckDuckGo differentiates on privacy, Google differentiates on other things. If you have a duopoly in most markets [e.g. AT&T + Comcast], now that AT&T has bit the bullet, why wouldn't you join them and offer 20% more data in your plan and call it a day? You can extract most of the same value and fence them in by offering more. It is the same reason in game theory, you have gas stations near each other generally. http://www.forbes.com/sites/sap/2012/05/21/why-gas-stations-are-so-close-to-each-other/ http://www.forbes.com/sites/sap/2012/05/21/why-gas-stations-... Each of you sit near each other and divide the market in half.

bediger4000 12y ago

So this is collusion to increase monopoly rents? I realize that it's hard to prove collusion, but still...

opendais 12y ago
Collusion in the sense they all operate from the same playbook. It isn't any more 'collusion' than DuckDuckGo and Google 'collude'. They operate from the same playbook [e.g. I make money from ads providing search content] and optimize revenues based on their goals. DuckDuckGo differentiates on privacy, Google differentiates on other things. If you have a duopoly in most markets [e.g. AT&T + Comcast], now that AT&T has bit the bullet, why wouldn't you join them and offer 20% more data in your plan and call it a day? You can extract most of the same value and fence them in by offering more. It is the same reason in game theory, you have gas stations near each other generally. http://www.forbes.com/sites/sap/2012/05/21/why-gas-stations-are-so-close-to-each-other/ http://www.forbes.com/sites/sap/2012/05/21/why-gas-stations-... Each of you sit near each other and divide the market in half.