[lutorm]

However, the water company will most definitely come looking for you if you start selling water to the neighboring town that has higher water prices, since then you are profiting from your subsidized water.

The real problem is that somehow the wireless companies, unlike residential ISPs, have gotten away with not being labeled as pure data transfer companies. It should be none of their business what data you send, but unfortunately that's not (legally) the case.

[dclowd9901]

The dumb pipe argument has been around for a couple years now. These companies (cable, satellite, telecom) absolutely do not want to become utilities. It limits their control over their product, and cuts off several high-yield revenue streams.

If they were regulated like a utility (water or electricity, for instance), you would see any and all arbitrary surcharges disappear, and these happen to be the biggest cash cows for these companies.