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Bell Canada Ordered To Justify Traffic-Shaping Practices
somecanuckchick writes "The Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has ordered Bell Canada to justify its traffic-shaping practices. The Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission on Thursday told the company it has until June 23 to make public data that was marked confidential in a May 29 filing. Bell had said it needed to keep quiet the information, which details the level of internet traffic and possible congestion on its network, for competitive reasons."
Is the implication here that, if they disclose how they are shaping their traffic, competitors will somehow seize that information and offer better service as a result? I don't think Bell Canada's customers are just chomping at the bit to get more traffic shaping on their lines, and I don't think they'd be any happier about it with a competitor, even if the prices were lower.
About the only logical application I can see of "competitive reasons" would be, "Oh no! Now our customers know we actually *were* screwing them hard, and now they're leaving for our competitors in droves!"
Proudly supporting the Libertarian Party.
Will Rogers be next? Cogeco?
Probably not, Bell Canada took the particularly egregious step of throttling not only their own customers, but everyone else's customers as well. It's one thing to ask people who have signed contracts with you to grab their ankles, but going after other companies' customers to make sure that your competitors' service sucks as bad as yours does... well, I suppose I could just say that this is the future of capitalism, as much as the free marketeers insist it won't be.
I'm sure that one of them will post saying how it's the government's fault for "letting this happen" and that if there weren't any rules or anything to even bother to pretend to look like someone is in charge, this wouldn't have happened because Bell Canada only did this to "stick it to the man" and not for any personal gain.
Considering one of their supposed traffic shaping methods is deep packet inspection, the 'competitive reason' would be they'd be sued till their arms and legs were bloody stumps and they were just rolling around on the street while angry former customers beat them with shovels. Thus allowing the likes of Rogers to get the upper hand.
-Also on an unrelated note, I just received my internet bill, and I got hit with an extra $25 for 'bandwidth usage'. Thanks Bell
I have nothing compelling to say
So let's end this confidentiality and pass legislation to force all Canadian isp's to provide the full set of specs. It seems to me that just like buying other equipment or services. The specifications should be displayed and cannot be misrepresented. Just like buying a TV or other elctronic device I want to see the specs so I may make an informed choice. There is no myterious technology here. It is just like any other consumer device.
I want Full Disclosure. I want to see exactly what my purchase is capable of and what I will recieve right on the label, so to speak. I want it just like any other product legislation in Canada. Why are only the internet providers allowed to pull this type of scam? Car company's are not allowed to misrepresent the engine displacement, nor can stereo amplifier companies misrepresent peak or continuous power output or even try to confuse the consumer. They must state what they are selling truthfully and according to standard measurement methods. If they tried to pull this type of scam, they would be paying huge fines.
The consumers should at least have the information available and choose to read it or not. Just like other product labelling in this country. If people don't want to think or let their friend pick for them, then fine, But get it out there for all to see.
Bullshit. They've been granted the right to use public property to lay their infrastructure. Do any of these companies actually own all of the land that their lines are buried in? Therefore, the people have every right to place restrictions on how they can provide service.
The "Free Market" argument doesn't apply here. Bell has been subsidized by the government for the better part of a century, and given guaranteed monopolies in various areas (not to mention the fact that their lines are on public land). Bell does not operate in a free market, and never has.
On top of that, the "Free Market" doesn't work when the consumer is lied to and deliberately misled (there is nothing about traffic shaping in Bell's TOS, or in their contracts with the resellers).
"Knowledge is the only instrument of production that is not subject to diminishing returns" -Journal of Political Econom