For most people, gone are the days of tying up the telephone line while accessing a sluggish dial-up Internet connection. Now it’s all about streaming video and music, sending dozens of e-mail messages and chatting online via videoconferencing.

A number of individuals and small businesses – as well as people who work from home – buy an Internet package and use up all the bandwidth they want. But could that be changing? A recent article from The Wall Street Journal points out some Internet and telecommunications companies are considering reverting to the early days of the Internet and pay-as-you-go pricing.

It stands to reason consumers may balk at this idea, although one way to lessen the blow could be to model cell phone plans. Consumers are certainly used to buying packages of minutes and text messaging and getting dinged when they exceed the limit. Would Internet usage operate the same way? And yet how could that impact business, particularly small companies and those that launch at the kitchen table using home-based Internet?

As pointed out in the WSJ article: Advocates say unlimited monthly Internet service has been critical to the Internet’s growth and the formation of online start-ups. Paying by the amount of Internet traffic used could damp usage and the sort of tinkering that can lead to breakthroughs, they warn.

It’s certainly possible fewer people would jump on YouTube to watch a funny video, do shopping on Amazon or spend an hour uploading photos to a photo sharing site, instead saving their Internet minutes for business-oriented or critical family tasks. How might that impact Web-based businesses and online advertising?

What do you think? Would you be willing to pay for the Internet as you use it?