What overturning the CRTC’s “Metered Internet” decision will mean for us
The Conservative government addressed growing public concern yesterday over a recent CRTC ruling on Usage Based Billing, (a metered internet).
For those who don’t know, UBB would mean that consumers are monitored on their bandwidth (web usage) and are charged extra money if they go over their “cap” (anywhere between $1 to $5).
Like watching Youtube videos? Well, that’s going to end up costing you. Enjoy keeping in touch with loved ones over Skype? You’d better have deep pockets as all that web usage can add up quickly. Bandwidth caps as low as 25gb per month mean that users will be much more stringent at adopting new websites and services into their daily routine.
A recent CRTC ruling (Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission) allowed for wholesale internet providers like Bell to essentially force independent internet providers like Teksavvy to implement a similar metered internet scheme. Teksavvy and other providers who rely on Bell’s network to serve their customers said that this decision limited the ability of these companies to differentiate themselves from the service provided by Bell.
Now the Conservatives are looking to overturn the CRTC decision forcing independent ISPs to implement this UBB scheme. They’ve overruled the commission before, and judging by talks with the media, look eager to do it again. Unfortunately, simply overruling the decision will not be enough to affect many Canadians who have limited choices.
Even if overruled, Bell, Rogers, and other internet giants are still able to serve UBB schemes to the public. While economically, one would think that competition from companies like Teksavvy would force them to abandon such measures, the companies are often the only service provider available in many communities or there is only one alternative. Those customers who are concerned over UBB in provinces like Ontario will likely go elsewhere, but Bell will continue such practices if it is advantageous to do so due to a lack of competition in other provinces such as New Brunswick.
If we want UBB practices to be defeat across the country, we cannot rely on the oligopoly of Shaw-Bell-and Rogers to simply shrug their shoulders and remove the caps. We need a CRTC ruling wholly against such practices, or an amendment to the Telecommunications Act declaring it outright illegal, (preferably the latter).
