>> Sure, it gives you lots of new choices:
>>
>> 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.

Only if you can prove it.

Besides, ISPs have so far successfully convinced people that things like 
YouTube and iPlayer are "hogging" all the bandwidth. (Er, no, it's just 
that people are actually using *all* of what they've paid for, when your 
entire business model is based on the assumption that they won't do 
this, and now you're pissed about it.) They manage to make it sound like 
it's YouTube's "fault" that their networks can't cope - when really the 
problem is that they've sold more product than they physically have.

Given the above, how hard can it be to convince a court of law that it 
"really does" cost more to allow access to more websites?

> 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.

I want to believe this is what will happen, but... I have a sinking 
feeling that it won't be.

> 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.

True. But to provide access to "the Internet", you have to peer with 
somebody. If they start deciding they don't want you to access stuff 
without exhorbitant fees, you have a problem.

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