Comcast’s usage-based pricing memo: Much ado about nothing

[Commentary] Comcast has acknowledged a pricing strategy that it disclosed years ago, and seeks to dispel misconceptions about this practice with explanations that are consistent with its earlier guidance. Network neutrality activists may prefer flat-rate pricing strategies under which lighter users effectively subsidize heavier users. This may come as no surprise, especially if many such advocates fall on the “heavy Internet usage” side of the spectrum. But the rest of us may think that charging more to those who use more is a fairer way to spread network costs. And absent evidence of anticompetitive abuse, Comcast should be free to test pricing strategies that reflect this intuition.