re: Let’s get this clear once and for all: the internet is NOT a utility

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If, somehow, you internet connection was --not cut off-- but slower? at times, which would be the one you'd choose to be fully up and running?
That being said, your premise is no more than a fearful guess.

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I pay for access to the internet at X speed (in my case, 300 mbps). If they change that and make some connections slower, the internet service provider is screwing me.

Why do people want to hold water for the companies that continue to raise rates for seemingly no reason, at seemingly no risk (due to their protection from local or county/parish governments)?

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Let’s get this clear once and for all: the internet is NOT a utility

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Might want to talk to the FCC about their universal service fund fee:

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Universal service is the principle that all Americans should have access to communications services. Universal service is also the name of a fund and the category of FCC programs and policies to implement this principle. Universal service is a cornerstone of the law that established the FCC, the Communications Act of 1934. Since that time, universal service policies have helped make telephone service ubiquitous, even in remote rural areas. Today, the FCC recognizes high-speed Internet as the 21st Century’s essential communications technology, and is working to make broadband as ubiquitous as voice, while continuing to support voice service.

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For everyone who wants to see how upstanding the cable company/ISPs are:
Cox must pay $8M in fees on top of $25M jury verdict for violating DMCA

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While Cox's DMCA defense was not "frivolous or in bad faith," the court found that Cox didn't implement its repeat-infringer policy until 2012, "intentionally circumventing the DMCA's requirements." In the judge's view, the evidence was "overwhelming" and included "smoking gun" e-mail conversations, including Cox's own abuse manager saying "F— the dmca!!!" at one point.

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I mean, it's not like they're motivated by money:
LINK

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another executive within the anti-piracy compliance division described the company’s policy for immediately reinstating accounts terminated under the DMCA.

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“Internal info only. Do not forward. After termination of DMCA, if you do suspend someone for another DMCA violation, you are not wrong. However, if the customer has a cox.net email we would like to start the warning cycle over, hold for more, etc. A clean slate if you will. This way, we can collect a few extra weeks of payments for their account. ?? Once the customer has been terminated for DMCA, we have fulfilled the obligation of the DMCA safe harbor and can start over… We have some leeway here. But know that once a termination happens, we have fulfilled ‘safe harbor.’ These are not in our procedures as we do not make this information publicly known.”

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But what about the strain on the network?:

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I am not concerned about DMCA and not ready to terminate a [Cox Broadband] customer for it… yet. It does not cause a big problem on the network. Not like spam, Dos attacks, hacking, etc. do… The customer is doing this on purpose. I just know it (I can feel it) and is not owned IMO. They just want to steal stuff…”

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