By Ian Vandaelle
Biz & Tech Editor
On Mar. 1, the CRTC will clamp down on small internet service providers (ISPs), mandating they eliminate their unlimited internet plans and switch to usage based billing (UBB), killing their only advantage over the big ISPs like Bell and Rogers.
Small ISPs, like Teksavvy and Primus, have been renting network access from the larger ISPs in order to offer more bandwidth for reasonable prices that are particularly attractive to students. But in less than a month, those deals will be dead.
200 gigabyte/month plans are dropping to 25 GB/month plans for many consumers, which means that customers will have to curtail their Internet usage, or risk overage charges of up to $2.50/GB.
Do you like Netflix, downloading torrents or streaming video? Bell and Rogers sure don’t. By imposing UBB, the CRTC has essentially put the power into the hands of the big ISPs. The CRTC has imposed rules that may handcuff the smaller competition and drive more traffic to the big ISPs that already have their hands deep in your pockets.
The average movie download will cost you 700 megabytes. A half hour sitcom will cost you 175 MB. The same service you’re getting from the small ISPs for $35-$40 dollars now could cost you hundreds in the coming months if you’re really working the bandwidth.
Thanks CRTC. Maybe next you could come to our houses and kick our dogs, too.
karperp
It’s amazing how big companies use our government to help enforce their monopolies. Unfortunately the government/CRTC doesn’t see the ripple effect of this: people using the internet less meaning less advertising dollars, less sharing of information, a decrease in demand for technology to meet market demands etc… all so that a couple of dinosaurs can keep their grasp on us. If Canada had real free markets the Bells and Rogers wouldn’t last a minute based on their reputations and services. Fortunately wrapping themselves in the Canadian flag while stabbing us in the back is good business.
Simon
Thanks buddy, I hope they will revoke their decision soon. They could even forbid this practice. We should pay for the speed, not for the bandwidth
Nick Tefoglou
There must be a stadium or theater out there that needs to be purchased by one of the big internet providers and renamed
Kate
Once again Canadians get shafted for big business profits.
John
Wow were should start? I am fuming! What a scam! These greedy corporations always thinking of a way to keep their hand in our pockets. Not only do they want to charge us MORE for LESS, but they have already capped our speeds with (DPI) deep packet inspection. If I download clip, or song, or use voip, I am unable to watch YouTube videos. This is disgusting. How are we canadians accepting this? We r already falling behind other countries in terms of Internet accessibility and speed. We can do better and we will. I don’t know if we should nationalize bell Canada already. I believe members of the crtc r former bell Canada employees.
Vandaelle
The Star is reporting that CRTC head Konrad von Finckenstein has announced that the CRTC will be reviewing it’s decision. They’ve also announced that the implementation of wholesale UBB will be delayed by another 60 days, pending the review. Means that even if the review comes up with the same result, UBB won’t come into effect until May 1st.
George
I hope they will revoke their decision,it’s so big monopoly with the big fat crooks, and the CRTC they get pay to do just that