Companies in some parts of the U.S. -- including Pennsylvania -- are testing a pay-for-what-you-use system of Internet service, much like cell phone bills.

Instead of charging a flat amount every month, a system known as metered Internet could charge customers based on how much surfing and downloading they do.

"It's very realistic that we'll be paying something related to what we actually do online, rather than a flat monthly fee," said telecommunications expert Jon Peha, of Carnegie Mellon University.

It could allow cable and telephone companies to offer different billing plans for Internet service, based on your usage.

"If they just send a little e-mail, they may actually benefit. If they watch video online, or they use peer-to-peer applications, they may end up paying more," Peha said.

Internet user Allison Coker said she doesn't like the idea.

"I'm online all of the time. My Instant Messenger is always up, so I feel like I'd have really high fees with all of that," she said.

Metering could allow Internet providers to make more money, but experts say it may be more about necessity -- particularly for cable companies, which only have so much capacity available.

"After hearing that, I think that is kind of reasonable," Internet user Kim Pottinger said. "That's a very good idea, because I know there are times when I'm on the Internet and it takes an hour -- not an hour, obviously, but it takes a long time for a page to load."

Verizon said it has plenty of capacity and does not have any plans to offer metered service.

Comcast is managing its network in certain test areas, including one outside Harrisburg. It isn't charging different Internet rates, but Comcast -- like other companies -- is now keeping tabs on how much you use.

"Comcast does not currently offer a consumption-based service. We continuously evaluate a variety of models, including consumption-based billing, to ensure that we deliver our customers a great experience online," the company said in a statement.

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