The cable industry isn’t stupid, right?

[Commentary] We’re rapidly moving to a future where cable broadband service will be the predominant choice for consumers who want fast access to the Internet, but in light of a study that predicts $200 bills by 2020 for the pay TV portion of cable, I have to wonder: Are the cable guys the idiots, or is it the consumer?

The NPD Group credits rising content licensing fees and the average 6 percent rate increase that cable companies jam down users’ throats each year. But the idea of paying $200 in eight years, or even $123 in 3 years seems like an insanity for most consumers. It also seems like an insanity for the cable companies to attempt given how rising cable costs amid grim economic times leads folks to cut the cord. But is demand for cable inelastic? The NPD report notes that 16 percent of U.S. households don’t have pay TV service. This means 84 percent do — a huge success for the industry. But can it last?