For those of you outside the country or who haven't kept up, Canada's authority on internet usage has, over the past year, began charging people for their bandwidth usage.
They began limiting our bandwidth, asking that we check our usage onlineand charging those who go over their limits ranging from 15-200gb/month. The amount of bandwidth given is related to what internet speed you're willing to pay for.
Now, Canada is already well known to pay some of the highest rates for some of the worst/slowest internet in the Western world. Long story short, we already get ripped off on both cellular and internet in this country. Those already struggling to pay the bill to simply have access to something we should almost all have in 2011 are going to suffer, as is anyone who uses the internet to its full potential.
As an example from Shaw - 97$/month gets you 'extreme internet' and 175gb a month. Each additional gb is going to cost your several dollars. For lower speeds, 25$/month gets you 1mbps and just 15gb/month
Most frustratingly, it's not only seedy - but extremely difficult to monitor usage on your own. Asking people to log-on to check inaccurate data counters to see if it's costing them is just some backwards garbage. Some have suggested collectively calling our ISP's on a daily basis asking out current usage to simply overwhelm them - thankfully it doesn't appear it's going to need to be such a grassroots movement any longer.
The backlash against being charged for how much internet we use has been massive. Finally, just the other day, PM Stephen Harper and the Conservative government essentially denounced the CRTC and stated they would force a reversal of usage-based internet billing if it wasn't done on their own.Finally some logic.
This is great news of course. And I think the principal of Bandwath caps/charging should be discussed!
Anyways, this is the CRTC's response today. Surprise, surprise they're not happy.
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CRTC to reassess ruling on unlimited internet access
CRTC chairman Konrad von Finckenstein agreed Thursday to give a controversial ruling on user-based Internet billing a fresh look, but told a committee of MPs he stands by the underlying principle that ordinary Canadians shouldn't subsidize heavy Internet users who download myriad movies and video games.
The Conservative government, however, said it would ignore any improvements the Canadian Radiotelevision and Telecommunications Commission has to offer unless the regulator abandons attempts to put caps on Internet use.
Mr. von Finckenstein, who appeared before the House of Commons industry committee, said Internet services are no different than other public utilities, such as natural gas and electricity, and should be priced and delivered accordingly.
"Usage in not unlimited," he said, as he agreed to delay implementation of the regulator's user-based billing ruling by 60 days. "The vast majority of Internet users should not be asked to subsidize a small minority of heavy users."
Within the 60 days, the regulator would conduct a review to ensure consumers and smaller Internet service providers are protected under the rules.
The CRTC ruled last week, after months of consideration, that major Internet-service providers could charge wholesalers that lease bandwidth a rate comparable to what it charges its own customers, minus a 15% discount.
Smaller Internet service providers (ISPs), which use this leased bandwidth, had offered customers packages with unlimited downloads. But they argue the CRTC ruling on user-based billing, or UBB, will force them to impose preset limits or "caps" on the amount of data theirs customers can consume each month before extra fees kick in.
The decision has sparked anger among small ISPs, as well as consumers, small businesses and political parties on the fear households would be hit with higher bills.
Tony Clement, the Industry Minister, told reporters minutes after the end of the CRTC chairman's testimony that he would ignore any attempt to bring in user-based billing. He said the CRTC ruling was, in essence, trying to "force" a uniform business model "down the throats" of every Internet service providers operating in Canada.
"That's where we draw the line, quite frankly," he said. "We believe there should be choice. If an Internet service provider wants to offer unlimited access for a flat fee, they should be allowed to do that in this marketplace.
"The CRTC decision was doing was eliminating that possibility. That's what we found unacceptable."
On the eve of Mr. von Finckenstein's testimony, Mr. Clement used Twitter to tell Canadians the government was prepared to overrule the Internet-billing decision unless the regulator backed down.
The chairman said his decision to review the UBB decision was made hours before Mr. Clement's tweet, and based on requests to delay implementation from BCE Inc. and a small Internet service provider.
He added he didn't know "what the outcome" of his review would be, when pressed by legislators.
"We don't have a monopoly on wisdom," he said. "We will look at the ruling with a fresh set of eyes -- but the principle has to be clear."
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/can...613/story.html
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Originally Posted by thelancinator
