It's official, federal Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff announced on his website. The Liberal party opposes a CRTC decision that will allow major Internet service providers to put a cap on how much data consumers can download, and charge per byte beyond that.
The decision to allow this practice, known as net metering or usage-based billing, prompted a groundswell of protest from the public that was catalyzed by OpenMedia.ca. The organization's petition, Stop The Meter, garnered more than 200,000 signatures.
"You did this. By raising your voices in unprecedented numbers on Twitter, Facebook, and by signing petitions through groups like openmedia.ca, we heard you," reads the message from Ignatieff on the Liberal Party website. "Now, we’re taking a stand with you against a bad policy that hurts consumers, stifles competition and innovation, and makes the Internet less open."
An op-ed on the decision, Canada Just Become World's Biggest Internet Losers, by Tyee editor David Beers was published Jan. 25 in the Globe and Mail, where it was the most 'Facebooked' article on the paper's website. When it was republished on The Tyee the following day, it received more than 1,000 Facebook hits and 611 tweets -- a Tyee record.
Industry Minister Tony Clement has now issued a statement saying he will review the CRTC's decision "to ensure that competition, innovation and consumers were all fairly considered."
The federal NDP's digital issues critic Charlie Angus issued a press release Jan. 20 slamming the CRTC's decision, and in December, Vancouver city council adopted a position against usage-based Internet metering.
Colleen Kimmett reports for The Tyee.
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Ramona777
1 year ago
I Don't Get It
What is wrong with the theory that the more you use, the more you should pay?
In fact, what do people download?
Porn?
Inane entertainment?
Methinks it's a select few that use the Internet for noble causes.
rhona
1 year ago
You need to get it
Who owns the internet? What right do your cable company or provider have to make more money than they already do for the service provided? I doesn't cost any more to deliver it to you.
Ramona777
1 year ago
Still Don't Get It
I guess we are conditioned to think we are entitled to everything. When suddenly faced with a charge there's outrage. Too bad.
Following the logic that it doesn't cost anymore, why then do we pay for long distance calls, cell phone calls, different tiers of cable, you could even extend it to electricity.
seth
1 year ago
ignorance
The CRTC charge is $2.50 per gigabyte - the cost is one cent - too cheap too meter.
Big Telecom wants to eliminate the competition.
The power of payoffs.
telus employee
1 year ago
Ramona777 asks 'What is
Ramona777 asks
'What is wrong with the theory that the more you use, the more you should pay?'
1: The internet was developed and early construction was underwritten by taxpayers, both through tax breaks, subsidies and Government paid for R&D.
2: Since the public made internet technology possible (by paying for it) why should we now restrict access (further than it is) to groups and people with little money?
3: Companies such as Telus/Bell Shaw are making HUGE profits from the internet as it is, why should we give them more? It is not like the profits will be used to reduce prices, increase workers wages or pay taxes. (Telus paid no federal income taxes between 2001 and 2006 even though it was making record profits)
It is time we kill the corporate nanny state (for the rich) and revive the social nanny state (for the rest of us).
rhona
1 year ago
I'm already paying
Home users are not running servers, there's no reason to charge more for use.
freebear
1 year ago
Sell online gaming, movies; news; shows
and then charge increasingly more to access it!
Brilliant!
Just like gasoline!
Ramona777
1 year ago
As We Get Sicker & Fatter
The free internet will enable us to become even more sedentary.
Ahhh, progress.
What did Mark Knopfler write, "I want my MTV."
snert
1 year ago
The whole business model is wrong.
We should be able to purchase plain old ordinary unrestricted bandwidth. After all it is a commodity just like electricity.
Then usage billing would make sense. None of this protocol throttling and higher upload speeds would be mandatory.
My ISP is Shaw and they are actually providing fewer and fewer useful services. They should just stick to being a data pipeline instead of a full service ISP.
offended
1 year ago
It costs the same for the providers
to provide service whether you are an occasional or frequent user. Bear in mind for some of the providers (Shaw and Telus in particular) most of the infrastructure is already in place.
It's just a cash grab. And it's not like we would have a choice to go elsewhere.
Ergo the analogies to roads go nowhere.
Dan the socialist
1 year ago
A little late isn't it? Both
A little late isn't it? Both the low wage conservative parties (Libs and Cons) were late on the boat with this...
probably Harpers plan though, let is rage, come in and overturn the CRTC so they look good and hope to get a few votes.
As for the Liberals, who really cares? They are finished.
Dan the socialist
1 year ago
What is wrong with the
What is wrong with the theory that the more you use, the more you should pay?
=======
Should that go for home phone too? People who talk more on it should pay more??? What about watching TV? If you watch 5 hours a day an dme 1, you should certainly pay more then.
not to mention they are charging big bucks for what costs pennies...
Frank
1 year ago
What about the less you use?
As Dan said above, how come phone, tv and internet bills don't start at 0 and then charge you for what you use?
Instead they bill you for more than you use and then have the audacity to declare they're being hurt by the few people that actually use more?
Even gas stations don't demand a minimum payment when you pull up.
And it bears repeating, the internet's creation was funded by taxpayers.
If Shaw and Telus truly want us to pay for what we use then start the bill at $0.00 and have public oversight so that we are not gouged on bandwidth costs.