> Sure, it gives you lots of new choices:
>
> - Package 1 only allows you to access item A.
> - Package 2 only allows you to access item B.
> - Package 3 only allows you to access item C.
> - Package 4 only allows you to access items A and B.
> - Package 5 allows you to access items A, B and D, but not C.
> ...
>
> Of course, these are stupid, stupid choices, but hey, it'll allow ISPs to 
> charge you way more money for exactly the same thing, which can only be 
> good, right? (For the ISPs, that is.)

That will only happen if all ISPs work together to fix the prices, which is 
strictly illegal under EU law.  And even if it did happen, there would be an 
irresistable opportunity for a new ISP to start up offering cheaper access 
to everything, taking all the customers and making a huge profit.

> Personally, I can see two ways for this to play out. If some ISPs continue 
> to offer access to everything for a reasonable price while other ISPs try 
> to stop you accessing things without paying extra fees, the unlimited ISPs 
> will suddenly become rather popular, and the other ISPs will be forced to 
> either close or start behaving sensibly again.

Exactly.

> Alternatively, if *all* the ISPs go down the route of limited access... 
> well limited access is better than no access. It's not like people are 
> going to cancel their subscriptions in protest. (Especially since ISPs 
> will likely keep very quiet about this fact until after the event, once 
> you have no choice but to accept their demands.) In that case, we're all 
> stuffed.

As I said, there would then be an irresistable opportunity for some company 
to make a shed-load of profit.

Being an ISP is not like, say, providing live coverage of a sporting event, 
there is no restriction to how many companies can offer it.

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