The CRTC has been all but forced to re-consider its decision to allow Usage Based Billing, when Canada’s Minister of Technology responded to public outrage by stating that if they didn’t, he would have it over-turned. Nice to see democracy at work!
Of course, Bell isn’t done posturing for more money, but at least Canadians are being heard. The CRTC has put out a call out for comment as they re-visit their position. Won’t you consider articulating an opinion on the matter of maintaining a usable and useful Internet in Canada? Here’s what I had to say…
Its obvious that content providers using traditional delivery networks are in opposition to an open and democratic Internet, where content can be delivered in ways they cannot control or monotize according to their archaic business practices, but an individual company’s failure to adapt to a changing market is not the burden of the consumer — we should not be forced by a government sponsored organization like the CRTC to pay for Bell Canada’s lack of innovation or broken business plan.
This is nothing more than Bell claiming to be “too big to fail” and demanding anti-competitive considerations from the CRTC to prop up their increasingly irrelevant properties by placing a costly stranglehold on the public Internet.
An action such as they are requesting would stunt Canada’s technology growth, encourage entrepreneurs to start their businesses elsewhere, abuse the consumer, and continue to endorse the monopolistic practices of an aging business still clinging desperately to their once innovative image, and unrestrained bullying in their space.
Demand that Bell Canada, and other interested parties, spend their time researching and developing new solutions for the Internet — do not make the consumer pay for their laziness. Do not make Canada the laughing stock of the technical world.
