It was only a matter of time. As more users access bandwidth heavy applications Time Warner is looking into changing its pricing structure to adapt. According to Time Warner: “around 5 percent of the customer base, can account for up to 50 percent of network capacity,” a figure that should come as no surprise.

While metered bandwidth is potentially a good thing, it opens the door for ISPs to up costs for heavy users while keeping rates unnaturally high for users with comparatively low levels of use. On the one hand, when faced with throttling p2p and other high bandwidth applications, metered use seems very reasonable.

The problem is that it’s not about improving network efficiency, it’s about money. The Time Warner’s of the world will inevitably turn this into another method of increasing their bottom line. Billing based on usage will wind up costing all users more money.