&gt; ...because the marginal cost of each byte is effectively zero?<p>So is the marginal cost of each electron or H2O molecule.<p>&gt; ...because the cost of running the network doesn&#x27;t significantly change whether it&#x27;s idle, or at full capacity?<p>You have to have extra capacity to deal with surges. Plus you probably have a normal distribution of bandwidth among your users, with some serious outliers. Why should they pay the same as someone who uses it less often?<p>&gt; ...because -unlike electricity, water, and sewage- we have an infinite supply of bytes?<p>To start with, transferring data uses electricity, so I don&#x27;t follow your logic. And there is certainly not infinite bandwidth.