The roll out of QoS (quality of service) protocols could lead to multi-tier Internet services (WSJ.com - Consumers Could See New Web Rates: Use More, Pay More). Though the flat fee Internet isn't going away any time soon. The only places where it will is where one company has a monopoly on broadband service.
If and when these companies do exercise their monopoly powers to impose 'pay-as-you-go broadband" or start blocking competitors services, there will be backlash both by customers and by regulators. [There's already backlash going against Comcast for blocking or slowing down Vonage.] Just look back at how we got to flat-fee Internet access in the first place.
Also as soon as one wireless carrier offers all you can eat service for under $50 a month per line, all the others will be forced to follow.
Customers don't like paying for extra minutes and they won't like paying for extra GBytes.
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