The TACNET issue is DIRECTLY linked to Uplink spam. The ability for team, note team not squad, mates to spawn on a link is based on their ability to "see" that link via TACNET (at least that was the mechanic prior to Uprising and there's been no note of a change).

So the bug to profile via TACNET is the key to the spam. Not only does it make spamming required if you're going to get a link in place and actually be able to use it but it also makes spamming more valuable because now the whole team can use that uplink not just members of your squad.

Having addressed that lets move on to cost. The statement, "Cost plays NO factor to the point of my post." is in fact the problem. In a resource based game cost is always a part of the equation and to ignore it is simply flawed. Uplinks are expensive, in ISK, in SP, and in CPU/PG.
Most players/organized teams will not spend the resources to spam unlinks the way we see now once the TACNET bug is resolved because other options will become comparatively more valuable.
In Chrome uplinks were not spammed, and nanos despite their high use were spammed less. Then Uprising hits and there's a lot more spam. This is due to the TACNET bug (uplinks) and the myriad of Injector and Repair Tool issues (nanohives). With repair and revival hobbled, and tactical placement of uplinks a joke, of course spaming uplinks is common place and one of the most effective tactics, the alternatives have been crippled.

The point about ARs, or any other weapon/gear, is that they have value and that said value is measured in more than one way, but it all reverts to the risk vs reward dynamic.
Having a piece of gear, weapon or otherwise, that you have spent ISK, SP, CPU/PG on, have paied the "risk" for and now are blocked from gaining any potential rewards from is breaking the fundamental paradigm of the game. A limit like this is just like a limit on how many ARs (or other weapon) can be active in a game because it has the same effect on the investment of Mercs set up to use it. It's even more onerous than the vehicle limit because you won't know your high cost assets are useless and your risk is worthless (but still costly) until after you hit the field.

As to the comparison of CRUs and links, the "more HP + limit" method makes links CRUs that players pay for. CRUs have been being popped and/or camped since closed beta and on average vets (at least all those I run with) won't use them unless the area they are in is completely secure. The general assessment is that they're not tactically viable enough to be worth using and so are destroyed more often that not. This was true prior to Uprising and the advent of Uplink spam and making uplinks just as useless will not improve the situation.

Your suggestion is a direct nerf to support play because it is directly nerfing the possible utility and WP value of one of the few bits of support gear in the game. There aren't that many items in Dust which are not directly "I kill you" or "I don't die quickly, so I kill you".
Currently uplinks, injectors, and repair tools are all quite broken (i.e. suffer from substantial bugs) it just so happens that the bugs/ways in which uplinks are broken allow them to still have use value if spammed.

The bugs should be fixed, the game should not be rebalanced to accommodate the presence of the bugs.

0.02 ISK
Cross

PS ~ Another element of cost which is being overlooked here is the cost of clones when speaking of PC matches. The "we'll just zerg them to death via uplinks" method is a costly one when clones carry an ISK cost. Other methods will become more valuable when other methods become more functional, and those who don't see it will hemorrhage money to their ultimate detriment.

EDIT: It is also worth noting that there is already a limit on uplinks in game. CCP put it there and it's listed right in the stat block. 1 at low meta, 2 at mid-high, 3 in a single case. The existence of this limit already present in game means that CCP has included that balance aspect already and set their SP, ISK, and CPU/PG costs accordingly. The ability to throw out multiple uplinks is not a given, even after the high SP investment is made, it is a costly prospect that requires sacrifices to both survivability and DPS if a fitting is to deploy links beyond the item limit. Those decreases in combat ability and survivability don't come with any decrease in ISK cost or any other cost for that matter because they are a trade off which is one of the fundamental mechanics of the game.

They should put a proximity limit on the uplinks. For example, no two uplinks should be closer than 75 meters from each other. If someone places a new uplink that's too close to an already-established uplink, the new uplink gets destroyed or stays inactive until the old uplink runs out.

Mixed feelings about this one. I like that this would prohibit teammates from dropping their uplink on top of my already well positioned uplink, basically robbing me of WP. However, I think 75 meters is too much. It's difficult for me to judge 75 in game meters in my head, but players need to be capable of placing uplinks in reinforcement positions in case their forward uplink is destroyed.

Options like this...

http://www.dropuplink.com/slow-fast

and this...

http://www.dropuplink.com/tigers-mouth

should remain in the game.

Personally, I generally don't support the proximity limit idea. Here are some cons that ruin it for me.

One poorly placed uplink means mine is useless.

Uplink clusters provide strong deployment support to a small area, it's a good tactic.

It would be frustrating to be forced to eyeball the distance between your uplink and the nearest.

That's enough to kill it for me.

I disagree. In my opinion, 6 active uplinks per person is sufficient for a proto logi. 6 active uplinks is still uplink spam, and the team is still capable of supporting more than enough uplinks for ANY game type.

The way uplinks currently function, spamming them seems to be more of an exploit than an intentional game mechanic. If it's working as intended, why can't I just fit 3 of the same variant?

SP/ISK/CPU/PG costs are almost irrelevant for an uplink spammer. [sic]
Even if I die and lose that suit, how much do I care? I haven't been short on ISK since I left academy

Uplinks are "set it and forget it" WP machines. Alongside nanohive spam, any player should be capable of earning 1000+ WP without a single kill (this is with 3-6 active uplinks).

You compare this to the (ridiculous) proposals of limiting the number of AR users in a match, I'd compare it to limiting the number of vehicles in a match.

But at the same time, it's kind of silly to see 15 uplinks in an area the size of one-quarter of the Communications Outpost (the one with the mushroom structure).