In a move anticipated by many Net Neutrality watchdog groups, Time Warner Cable, Comcast and AT&T have announced that they are officially pursuing a metered Internet service provider system. As our ISP’s, these corporations function as our collective gateway’s to the Internet. Now these gateways are tightening their grasp for all but those who can afford to pay their premiums.

Yes, we all remember tiered dial-up service but the Internet has changed. Unlimited broadband provided the framework for another leap in the maturity and democratization of the Internet. The lesson is clear THE SAME INTERNET FOR ALL. These policies only serve to steer us away from the progress we have already made.

Don’t be fooled, this will cripple future broadband innovation. Unlimited broadband connections to the Internet and the freedom to visit websites that rely on broadband-based technologies will become a privilege. This will certainly deepen the already significant digital divide between people who have access to free and unfettered communication with the rest of humanity and those who do not.

This is seen by many as the necessary first step to “reduce Internet access to a TV-like subscription model, only offering access to a small standard amount of commercial sites and require extra fees for every other site you visit. These ‘other’ sites would then lose all their exposure and eventually shut down, resulting in what could be seen as the end of the Internet.” ISP’s confirm ‘2012: The Year The Internet Ends’, iPower

Metered billing could also put a crimp in the plans of services like Apple Inc.’s iTunes that use the Internet to deliver video. DVD-by-mail pioneer Netflix Inc. just launched a TV set-top box that receives an unlimited stream of Internet video for as little as $8.99 per month. Time Warner Cable tries metering Internet use, ap va yahoo news

AT&T believes it “inevitable” that its most frequent Internet users will pay some kind of surcharge for the extra demand on the network, says company representative Michael Coe. AT&T mulling fees for heavy Internet use, electronista

Time Warner Cable will launch a trial program on Thursday which will impose monthly Internet consumption caps on new subscribers in Beaumont, Texas. Following a two-month grace period, cable users will pay $1 for each additional gigabyte consumed beyond the cap. 40GB for $55 per month: Time Warner bandwidth caps arrive, ars technica

Comcast is evaluating a capping system that it hopes will pay for the cost of very heavy users without affecting most reasonable use, according to a tip sent to BBR. In the proposed plan, the provider would implement a clear 250GB monthly data transfer cap and charge users $15 extra per month for every 10GB increment past the limit. Comcast mulling 250GB cap, excess fees?, electronista

Don’t let OUR Internet devolve to this:

Tags: broadband connections, comcast, democratization, dial up service, extra fees, frequent internet users, internet service provider, internet use, itunes, Net Neutrality & Stats, Net Neutrality & Stats, netflix inc, subscription model, time warner cable, unlimited broadband