Keep in mind that this effect is mostly related to how current tests are done. When more actual customers start using the network you may see very different behavior. Just wait and see how it turns out.
So, it seems like I can game the system here by just deleting data off disk, thereby making free space for more incoming traffic?
Edit: By the way, seems extremely unfair for most of the payout to be only for bandwidth. Seems like I’m providing more use as a consistent data storage place rather than a medium to move that data around.
If you delete data your node will fail audits and be disqualified in no time. So no you can’t cheat the system that way.
It’s not unfair, it’s industry standard. Bandwidth is more expensive so you’re getting paid more for it. As I mentioned, this behavior is likely temporary.