[loganu]

[ISPs] have moved beyond just delivering a internet connection to delivering "triple play" (net, cable/streaming, voip).

I thought this bundling was more to protect their profit margins. In Canada, for example, Telus has cable, internet, cellphone, house phone products available. For every product line you purchase, there's a discount. When they charge data overage fees on cell phones and internet plans, they make huge money, and subsidize the cost of running other product lines which help their lock-in effect. (Sorry for the poor wording)

[soylentcola]

I think part of it is that they can charge content owners/distributors (cable networks) more money with higher subscriber numbers. It's why I can pay $69/mo for 100/10 internet service from Comcast but for $99/mo I get 80 channels of cable plus HBO on top of internet service. If I were to buy only cable TV, that same package would not cost just $40/mo but they'd rather have me boosting their cable sub numbers than just paying them for a data pipe so they heavily discount the price.

[digi_owl]

It is, but it also makes them beholden to the content distributors. The last thing they want is to be delayed in offering the latest blockbuster or hotly debated drama.