ox expands broadband usage meter rollout

ox Communications has expanded the rollout of its broadband usage meter to Virginia. The MSO, which launched the usage meter in Florida last year, recently sent letters to subscribers in Virginia notifying them of the broadband meters, according to DSL Reports, which published a letter it received from a Cox subscriber. Cox subscribers who order the company's Premiere Package are allotted 250 GB of data each month. But the MSO isn't yet charging subscribers if they exceed the amount of data offered in its cable modem packages. "The vast majority of our customers do not exceed their usage amount in a month and Cox does not charge you an additional fee if you exceed it," Cox wrote in the letter to subscribers. While Cox and other U.S. MSOs aren't yet charging subscribers fees if they exceed usage caps, the cable operator's move to inform subscribers on how much data they consume could be a way to set the stage for charging customers fees based on usage. With more cable subscribers relying on streaming video delivered by Netflix (Nasdaq: NFLX), Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN), Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL), and other over-the-top video providers, Cox and other MSOs may turn to metered billing to boost revenue from subscribers that reduce spending on premium channels and other digital cable programming packages.