Comcast to start charging extra for heavy use

Comcast to start charging extra for heavy use Comcast Corp., the country's largest Internet service provider, is going to start charging extra when customers go over a certain monthly data limit. That limit, however, is high, starting at 300 gigabytes for basic Internet plans. Only 1 percent of U.S. Internet users use that much data in a month, according a measurement firm. Comcast said Thursday that it will test charging $10 for every 50 gigabytes over that limit. Comcast previously limited use to 250 gigabytes per month but hasn't charged those who exceed that limit.

Ackman gains control of Canadian Pacific Activist investor William Ackman won his proxy battle for control of the Canadian Pacific Railway, one of Canada's most prominent companies. Just hours before the railway's annual meeting Thursday, the president and chief executive of Canadian Pacific, Fred Green, its chairman and four other board members unexpectedly resigned. The move effectively gave control of the company to Ackman's Pershing Square Capital Management, which owns 14.2 percent of the railroad.

Hardee's parent company CKE files for IPO The owner of fast-food chains Hardee's and Carl's Jr., CKE Inc., filed to raise an estimated $100 million in an initial public stock offering. In a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the California company said it has yet to determine the size of the offering and the estimated price range. CKE, which had more than 3,000 fast-food restaurants as of Jan. 31, said it will apply to list its common stock under the CK ticker symbol on the New York Stock Exchange.

Plans tweaked for expanded CBOT trading CME Group Inc., the world's largest futures exchange, now plans to expand trading in grains to 21 hours a day after withdrawing an earlier plan for 22 hours that drew complaints from clients. Trading on the Chicago Board of Trade will be from 5 p.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday through Friday, the company said. The CBOT currently allows trading 17 hours a day. No date was set for the transition, which will occur no later than June 4.

Verizon retracts statement on unlimited plans Verizon Wireless has backtracked on a statement made by one of its officials saying it would cut off grandfathered unlimited data plans. The communications company said it has been "evaluating its data pricing structure for some time," in an official statement posted on its website. "We will share specific details of the plans and any related policy changes well in advance of their introduction." Verizon CFO Fran Shammo said users with unlimited data would have to sacrifice their plans before upgrading to the company's 4G network.

Agilent to buy diagnostics firm for $2.2 billion Agilent Technologies Inc., the maker of scientific-testing equipment, agreed to buy Dako, a Danish maker of cancer-diagnostics tools, for $2.2 billion in cash to expand its life-science business. Agilent is acquiring Dako from the Swedish private equity firm EQT Partners AB, the companies said..

Berkshire buying Media General newspapers Billionaire Warren Buffett's company is making another foray into newspapers, agreeing to buy 63 newspapers, including the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Virginia, from Media General Inc. for $142 million. Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is also extending a loan to Media General and taking a 19.9 percent stake in the company, which will still own 18 TV stations.

FROM NEWS SERVICES