Put a Cap on It

[Commentary] The fundamental reason why it is hard to take broadband caps seriously is how uneven they remain. A

T&T imposed no ostensible limit before its upcoming move except for the most extreme users, many of whom might have been dupes of malware exploiting their machines to serve stolen files or send spam. Verizon and Cablevision, locked in competition between fiber-to-the-home and relatively cheap super-fast cable broadband in the Northeast have no caps. Comcast would be only too happy to provide the business service this Babbage gets in his out-of-home office to his residence with the same unlimited service for a few dollars more each month. And Britain's BT just removed a 300 GB cap on its more expensive plan, though it retains the right to throttle the heaviest users during peak congestion. The erosion of a market is never a pretty thing to watch, especially in places in which de facto or de jure monopolies prevent competitors from entering the fray on equal terms. American Internet providers are fighting a losing, rearguard action even with the odds stacked in their favour. The trickle of video has become a torrent. Capping it may soon be impossible.