So someone should plan to launch a VPN service that will pay telcos so its traffic doesn't use any of its customers' data plans. Configure the mobile device to route all data via the VPN, encrypted. It'll charge its customers for access to unlimited apps, sites and streams without incurring a data plan hit.
One problem with this plan is that it solves the problem only for a few relatively rich and aware people. The majority of people will continue to be screwed, which also means that new businesses trying to compete with incumbents will be screwed.
Also, there's a good question whether telcos will sell Google the ability to prioritize traffic, and then sell somebody else the ability to get out of that. The VPN provider will always be a minnow, so my guess is that if any of the whales object, the telcos will just never sign with the VPN provider.
Myself and some guys with a telecoms background spoke to various telcos about that ~2 years ago. Feedback was that they were already so over stretched with data usage they weren't going to embark on any projects likely to increase it until there had been a lot of network upgrades. May have changed since then though.
I think the biggest risk in doing this for a VPN service is that the usage is impracticable given its nature and secrecy.
With services like Facebook, Twitter, etc, the telcos know more or less what they can expect in average data usage from users (and plan/charge accordingly).
I don't follow. The VPN provider will still have to insist on limits, because the telco will insist on limits. It's not like Facebook is automatically unlimited, it's just limited to what Facebook is willing to pay for its users. It becomes Facebook's problem to understand data usage by its users and its apps and to pay accordingly (or not pay, and let the data start counting once the user is past the 'Facebook limit.')
Therefore, a VPN provider will be in the same position. So instead of paying AT&T for your data plan, you're basically paying the VPN people for your data plan plus privacy from AT&T.
