Data caps is just there for the ISP to pick the customer even more clean. The equipment to handle the traffic generated by customers is already there at the ISP and costs practically as much when it is running or not. Caps also require more administration on the customer's end but mainly on the ISP's end.
Data caps used to be a thing in the Netherlands too, around 1990. Haven't heard of this being a thing since 2000 in the Netherlands. Here in PY data caps are only a thing with people that buy internet for their phone. For domestic connections, no data caps in any shape or form. Connection quality and/or reliability in PY isn't so great, but has made pretty big strides since 2005. And there is a big push for domestic fiber connections going on. As most houses do not have a coax cable connection anyway, it is almost as easy to roll out fiber as it is to roll out coax. A 20MBit/sec fiber connection (internet-only, no TV or phone plan) is about 10 USD monthly.
Even though prices are very acceptable for the customer, ISP's make more per connection. much more people want and commit to contracts with the ISP, because no data cap head-ache, which they know only all too well, because of their phones. The same happened in the Netherlands all those years ago, the same is happening here in Paraguay as well.
The US would not be any different, but I get the impression that management layers at ISP's do not want to let their claws release the concept of data caps.
