For Sale CRTC - Internet Billing ~ This Matters!

whitebark · Feb 1, 2011

Just minutes ago the federal government said they would review the CRTC decision to allow the large ISPs to enact sweeping and deep cost increases coupled with massive service cuts to Canadian consumers and small businesses.

Usage based billing. It sounds benign enough. But with the Internet so interweaving itself into our daily lives - usage is only going to increase. UBB will cripple innovation, impact people's use of the internet and push business out of Canada. Data transfer in itself is not expensive - and the lines/infrastructure they are transmitting it over were built by Canadian taxpayer's money.

For people like us on this forum this can directly impact our businesses. We are just starting to emerge from this prolonged recession - our Internet-based businesses don't need another broadside now.

What to do? Email and/or call your local federal MP. It just takes a few minutes. Be sure to mention that your business will suffer and your personal costs will increase. For me this is a vote casting issue - and that's the language they really understand.

silentg · Feb 1, 2011

You can also sign the petition here: Stop The Meter by OpenMedia.

I switched to Teksavvy Unlimited Cable Internet to escape the usage limit by Rogers. I am going to have to cut off my IPTV if I get hit with a bandwidth limit.

jaydub · Feb 1, 2011

nm...found lots

Irish31 · Feb 1, 2011

If this passes review and becomes a reality, we are in big trouble. Bell would be triple dipping here. It costs them exactly 1cent to transfer a gig of bandwidth to us. They make 1$+ per gig, not bad. Considering the Canadian taxpayers subsidized the creation and expansion of the infrastructure that Bell is using to charge people more money, I would say every Canadian already has a vested stake in this matter, you've already paid into the problem (Bell told the Canadian Gov't the country was "too big" for them to foot the bill for laying all of those lines).

They charge the ISP's more, who in turn have to no choice but to pass that cost onto you and I, the consumer. So if you don't feel the pain directly though Bell, you will through the small guys they are leaning on.