HEADS UP CANADA: CRTC OKs usage-based internet billing
This one slipped under my radar until today.
"CRTC green lights usage-based internet billing
Metered internet usage is on the way, with the CRTC handing down its final decision on how wholesale customers can be billed by large network owners.
The federal regulator on Thursday gave Bell Canada the approval to implement so-called usage-based billing to wholesale customers — usually smaller internet service providers that rent portions of its network — within 90 days. Under the plan, Bell will charge wholesale service providers a flat monthly fee to connect to its network, and for a set monthly usage limit per each ISP customer the ISP has." (Source CBC.ca October 28th)
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"Smaller ISPs had opposed the plan, which the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission provisionally approved in August last year, on the grounds that it will make them indistinguishable from Bell." (Source: CBC.ca May 6th)
... ...
"I remember in the early dial up days when we were billed per hour of useage by the hundreds of small internet companies that started this industry.
Along came bell and rogers, technology increased, and they were able to reduce the prices substantially offering "unlimitted highspeed packages". The cost dropped to almost nothing. Then all of the smaller companies went out of business as a result of being unable to complete (the way market forces SHOULD work)
Now that those companies are gone. We are left with more or less 2 internet suppliers. And now they have switched back to the old system of useage based billing and jacked up prices far higher then they ever were.
So in other words all the developments of the last 15 years were nothing more than to eliminate competition. And now we're right back where we started, except now we have no choice". (CBC commenter.)
... ...
There is already an online petition against the approved fee hikes that might be worth reviewing.
... ...
I didn't realize that this was going on. It would mean paying money to see advertisements which automatically download on some of my favorite web pages as well as the content I go there for.
Any sifters out there have any more info or thoughts on this?
[edit: Some thoughts from boingboing]
"CRTC green lights usage-based internet billing
Metered internet usage is on the way, with the CRTC handing down its final decision on how wholesale customers can be billed by large network owners.
The federal regulator on Thursday gave Bell Canada the approval to implement so-called usage-based billing to wholesale customers — usually smaller internet service providers that rent portions of its network — within 90 days. Under the plan, Bell will charge wholesale service providers a flat monthly fee to connect to its network, and for a set monthly usage limit per each ISP customer the ISP has." (Source CBC.ca October 28th)
... ...
"Smaller ISPs had opposed the plan, which the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission provisionally approved in August last year, on the grounds that it will make them indistinguishable from Bell." (Source: CBC.ca May 6th)
... ...
"I remember in the early dial up days when we were billed per hour of useage by the hundreds of small internet companies that started this industry.
Along came bell and rogers, technology increased, and they were able to reduce the prices substantially offering "unlimitted highspeed packages". The cost dropped to almost nothing. Then all of the smaller companies went out of business as a result of being unable to complete (the way market forces SHOULD work)
Now that those companies are gone. We are left with more or less 2 internet suppliers. And now they have switched back to the old system of useage based billing and jacked up prices far higher then they ever were.
So in other words all the developments of the last 15 years were nothing more than to eliminate competition. And now we're right back where we started, except now we have no choice". (CBC commenter.)
... ...
There is already an online petition against the approved fee hikes that might be worth reviewing.
... ...
I didn't realize that this was going on. It would mean paying money to see advertisements which automatically download on some of my favorite web pages as well as the content I go there for.
Any sifters out there have any more info or thoughts on this?
[edit: Some thoughts from boingboing]
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