CRTC

Metered Billing: It's a Lack of Competition, not Congestion

Stevie Converse — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 07:47:14 -0400

Full article: Ars Technica
Matthew Lasar
The Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission has been holding hearings over the last few days about its controversial (and for the moment suspended) move to let Bell Canada bill independent ISPs on a wholesale byte-by-byte basis. Newspaper reports suggest that at least some of the commissioners aren't buying arguments that the telcos need usage-based billing to "discipline" consumers so that they won't congest networks with excessive downloading.

Canadians Continue to Rage Against Metered Billing

Lindsy Embree — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 11:37:37 -0500

Full article: Ars Technica
Matthew Lasar
The dust has at least temporarily settled on Canada's controversial decision to let its biggest ISPs charge smaller, competitive ISPs on a metered, or Usage-Based Billing schedule, a decision later suspended by the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecom Commission. Judging from a sample of the surly comments coming into the CRTC's new public proceeding on broadband billing issues, it's going to take a while before Canadians trust their telecom regulator again.

Canada Rethinks Metered Internet, As U.S. Pushes Ahead

Lindsy Embree — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 09:44:49 -0500

Full article: Washington Post
Cecilia Kang
As U.S. Internet service providers move to metered plans with the blessing of federal regulators, the Canadian government is reconsidering its own controversial rules that allow for usage based billing instead of flat fees.

Canada Still Wants to 'Discipline the Use of the Internet'

Lindsy Embree — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 11:24:21 -0500

Full article: Ars Technica
Nate Anderson
Unlike the parrot in the famous Monty Python sketch, it appears that metered Internet billing in Canada is not quite dead after all. Speaking at a House of Commons hearing, the head of Canada's telecoms regulator made it clear that metered billing rules would indeed be delayed -- but they could well reappear.

Canada Reverses Metered Internet Decision

Lindsy Embree — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 10:49:36 -0500

Full article: Ars Technica
Matthew Lasar
Terrified by a critical mass of enraged broadband consumers, Canada's government is telling its telecom regulator to rescind its approval of metered or "usage based" billing, or else. Industry Minister Tony Clement is now insisting that Canada's Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has to undo the ruling.

CRTC Will Rescind 'Unlimited Use' Internet Decision -- or Ottawa Will Overturn It

Lindsy Embree — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 09:25:16 -0500

Full article: Globe and Mail
Steven Chase
The Harper government will overturn the CRTC's decision that effectively ends "unlimited use" Internet plans if the regulator doesn't rescind the decision itself. Industry Minister Tony Clement made the surprise announcement via his closely followed Twitter account.

Ottawa to Reverse CRTC Internet Billing Decision

Lindsy Embree — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 09:22:46 -0500

Full article: Toronto Star
Richard J. Brennan
A controversial CRTC decision that effectively imposed usage-based Internet billing on small service providers will be reversed. "The CRTC should be under no illusion -- the Prime Minister and minister of Industry will reverse this decision unless the CRTC does it itself," a senior Conservative government official said.

Canada's Internet Rescued from Weak and Pathetic Regulator

Lindsy Embree — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 09:19:08 -0500

Full article: Boing Boing
Cory Doctorow
Canadian Industry Minister Tony Clement has told the press that he will overturn the decision to allow "usage-based billing" with thich the CRTC gifted the telcom industry. Canada's heavily concentrated telcom companies have long used dirty tricks to punish customers for using services that compete with their own, such as VoIP and video on demand, and Usage-Based Billing would have raised the cost for using these services sky-high.

CRTC Delays Usage-Based Internet Billing

Stevie Converse — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:00:25 -0400

Full article: CBC News
Peter Nowak
The CRTC is holding off on implementing an order that would allow Bell Canada to charge smaller Internet Service Providers based on how much their customers download each month.

New Online Services Face Threat from ISPs, CRTC Told

Stevie Converse — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:00:54 -0400

Full article: CBC News
Emily Chung
New services such as Internet-to-TV video rentals could face unfair hurdles if Internet Service Providers have the power to slow the applications of their choosing, Canada's Internet regulator was told in a hearing.