Digital Home Thoughts - News & Reviews for the Digital Home

"Charlie Angus, the NDP's digital affairs critic, said the telecommunications regulator's decision to allow usage-based internet billing won't just affect the so-called bandwidth hogs but could hit many Canadians financially."

Last year, the CRTC decided to approve Bell's proposal for Usage Based Billing for its wholesale customers. That decision also outlined what costs Bell could charge for customers who went above certain thresholds for usage. Independent ISPs cried foul. Some Internet users expressed outrage. Now it looks like politicians are getting into the foray. Personally, while I can understand the idea of UBB, I disagree with have it is going to be implemented. Bell is going to be able to charge on a per user basis instead of in aggregate to its wholesale customers. The charges are also extremely high.

The rates will punish those who make most use of the Internet and only serve to guarantee higher profit margins for what is in effect, a government enforced oligopoly. Sure, not everyone needs a terrabyte of data transfer (at least at present) but with people watching their meters, ideas like YouTube and Hulu would likely never have taken off. People might ignore updating their OS or programs because that uses up data. If you were stuck with a data transfer cap, what would you be willing to sacrifice?

"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."

I have seen reports that suggest that Canadians are among those countries that pay the most for their Internet access. Looking at what prices can be had elsewhere, I would tend to agree. The CRTC's most recent ruling though, leads me to think that prices are either going to increase, or Canadians will just have to settle with having limited Internet connections where they have to watch everything they do. I am not going to argue that Canadians should see the same prices as those posted in Japan or several nations in the EU, but I cannot see how the recent decision for Usage Based Billing will help foster a digital nation intent on innovation. People will be afraid of testing out new services available on the Internet, assuming they are even offered here (How long did it take for Netflix to offer streaming in Canada? And with what selection?) leading to a nation of people behind the times. It seems to have turned more towards profit over vision.