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Canadian Regulator Says No To New Internet Regs

Posted by timothy on from the leaving-well-enough-alone dept.

An anonymous reader writes "After months of fears that the Canadian broadcast regulator would try to regulate the Internet, the CRTC has come to its senses. Its new media decision today takes a hands off approach — no new regulation — and even adopts a rule against undue preferences for wireless providers."

76 comments

  1. To bad... by SchizoStatic · · Score: 1

    To bad this wasn't a Europe thing. Since most of the US politicians get their "new" ideas from the EU maybe they would try to borrow this one as well.

    --
    https://www.speakservers.com/
    1. Re:To bad... by Etylowy · · Score: 1

      I was under the impression it was the other way round - that EU countries were getting their own DMCA + cutting you off the Internet (French idea, what a suprise ;-) )

    2. Re:To bad... by harryandthehenderson · · Score: 1

      Except the DMCA was passed to normalize US copyright laws with those in Europe and there is no 3-strikes rule in the US.

    3. Re:To bad... by schon · · Score: 1

      Except the DMCA was passed to normalize US copyright laws with those in Europe and there is no 3-strikes rule in the US.

      Except that when the DMCA was enacted, it was to ratify the WIPO treaty which was being pushed by American media companies and therefore "normalization" didn't really happen, and the various 3-strikes laws being proposed are entirely new and not part of the WIPO treaty at all.

    4. Re:To bad... by harryandthehenderson · · Score: 1

      Except that when the DMCA was enacted, it was to ratify the WIPO treaty which was being pushed by American media companies and therefore "normalization" didn't really happen

      Those WIPO treaties were being pushed by the American media companies to normalize with the more stringent copyright laws that were passed in the EU.

    5. Re:To bad... by schon · · Score: 2, Informative

      Those WIPO treaties were being pushed by the American media companies to normalize with the more stringent copyright laws that were passed in the EU.

      What colour is the sky in your world?

      Name ONE country besides the US that had DMCA-like copyright provisions before 1999. Just *ONE*.

    6. Re:To bad... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Thanks for being happy for us Canadians, asshole. I hope you die homeless from an IFPI lawsuit. But not before you learn how to spell "too".

  2. Now the US ISPs and Wireless Telcos will by Amazing+Quantum+Man · · Score: 2, Funny

    Blame Canada!

    --
    Fascism starts when the efficiency of the government becomes more important than the rights of the people.
  3. No regulation? by Mr.Fork · · Score: 4, Interesting

    As a canuck, sure, the CRTC hands-off approach makes sense, but it still doesn't help address internet throttling by ISP which I think is shoddy. If I pay for a service, and wish to use a technology to download a game patch like Torrent, my ISP WILL throttle my internet connection.

    However, no regulation still means NO regulation which isn't a bad thing. And I do have the ability to switch service providers as a consumer and inquire about throttling before I move.

    --
    Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things. - Peter F. Drucker
    1. Re:No regulation? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      As long as there's more than one ISP in your area, have fun. As for me, I get my choice between shitty satellite internet and Ma' Bell's assrape bundle service.

    2. Re:No regulation? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Teksavvy+mlppp FTW! (seriously, check out www.fixppp.org)

    3. Re:No regulation? by whitefang1121 · · Score: 0

      As a canuck also, i have finally realized that canada tries to regulate everything, kind of like california! Next thing you know they will try to regulate oxygen and how much you can take in a day! DAMN CANADA!

    4. Re:No regulation? by brohmes · · Score: 2, Insightful

      it's just a shame that a consumer's only comparable alternative to Rogers' speed is to go that route. where's the competition?

    5. Re:No regulation? by camperdave · · Score: 1

      If you can get Ma Bell's service, then you can likely get Teksavvy's service. 5M/800 with 200gb/month cap for $29.95/mo, unlimited for $39.95/mo. Excellent service, linux friendly.

      --
      When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
    6. Re:No regulation? by PhilixDMA · · Score: 1

      The problem is that in certain areas Bell is throttling their wholesale customers as well, which applies to Teksavvy. I know that during the day at my Toronto apartment torrents are throttled to around 15-16KB/s. Also if anyone is using torrents on my network it severely degrades the quality of certain VoIP software. A problem that I ceased to have after I switched to a rogers service with a similar speed profile. I do have to say though, that I regret my decision to leave Teksavvy. They provided an amazing customer service experience and outstanding support. Their prices are the best in the city and their bandwidth caps are by far the most liberal. As soon as Bell stops their ridiculous DPI traffic shaping, I will be back to Teksavvy instantly.

    7. Re:No regulation? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Teksavvy offers (and has offered for a while) MLPPP, even for a single link. Although it only shifts the header by 6 bytes on a single link, the DPI boxes are too dumb to inspect the packets and you are not throttled.

    8. Re:No regulation? by chrish · · Score: 1

      In addition to throttling certain types of traffic from other DSL ISPs, you'll note that 5Mbit/s is the fastest you can get from any of the 3rd parties like TekSavvy (which I use). Bell offers 7Mbit/s, 10Mbit/s and 16Mbit/s if you're willing to pay for it.

      Why aren't these higher speeds available to people using 3rd party DSL? Aren't they using the same cables, etc. that my tax dollars helped pay for?

      Bell having control over a service I buy from an independent company is one kind of bad, and not providing the same access to third party DSL companies is another. Back when Sympatico was a "separate" ISP, weren't Bell ordered to give other DSL companies the same access?

      So very sick of the "choice" we've got in Canada for broadband (and cell phones, but that's another thread's rant).

      --
      - chrish
    9. Re:No regulation? by camperdave · · Score: 1

      Teksavvy offers (and has offered for a while) MLPPP, even for a single link.

      Is there an extra fee for that? I don't see anything about it on their website.

      --
      When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
    10. Re:No regulation? by joelmax · · Score: 1

      Rogers isn't any better, they actively throttle as well..

    11. Re:No regulation? by DarthVain · · Score: 1

      The problem, and what I believe is still before the CRTC is that ALL internet is Throttled.

      Basically all internet is provided by two companies: Bell, and Rogers Communication. Phone and Cable respectively.

      Independent ISPs buy their service from one or the other.

      The Independents complained to the CRTC that this was an unfair buisness practice by Bell, that they are slowing their users connection. Bell's argument is that its is a fair playing ground because they treat their own customers like crap, and if they don't throttle the whole internet will explode!

      Teksavvy IS throttled, however I believe it is one of the few that currently host a service that if you download and configure some software you can get around the throttling. From what I understand it takes a bit of doing though, and I suspect at some point or another Bell will close that door, in which case another will have to be found.

    12. Re:No regulation? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You forgot Videotron

    13. Re:No regulation? by faclonX · · Score: 1

      And Cogeco, and Shaw, both of which have hands in rogers, and vice versa, all the cable companies, except videotron (which btw is only available in quebec, and no one cares about quebec), own large shares of each other, so when one rapes their customers, they all benefit

      --
      It had to be done... It had to be said...
  4. ya know what i'm talk aboot eh? by ilblissli · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    why bother regulating them? all Canadians use the internet for is to search for hockey scores, maple syrup, beavers, learning how to become a mountie, and learning how to best serve as America's hat.

    1. Re:ya know what i'm talk aboot eh? by harryandthehenderson · · Score: 4, Funny

      beavers

      Bald, hairy, or trimmed?

    2. Re:ya know what i'm talk aboot eh? by g-to-the-o-to-the-g · · Score: 1

      why bother regulating them? all Canadians use the internet for is to search for hockey scores, maple syrup, beavers, learning how to become a mountie, and learning how to best serve as America's hat.

      Wow, you deserve a comedy award for that one.

      --

      Hi there

    3. Re:ya know what i'm talk aboot eh? by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 1

      why bother regulating them? all Canadians use the internet for is to search for hockey scores, maple syrup, beavers, learning how to become a mountie, and learning how to best serve as America's hat.

      No, they also use them to find the nearest donut place and when the curling match is on.

      --
      -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
    4. Re:ya know what i'm talk aboot eh? by Red+Flayer · · Score: 4, Insightful

      That's ridiculous. Where would the US get its newscasters, comedians, and singer/songwriters from if not for Canada?

      --
      "Trolls they were, but filled with the evil will of their master: a fell race..." -- J.R.R. Tolkien on Olog-hai
    5. Re:ya know what i'm talk aboot eh? by twidarkling · · Score: 4, Informative

      Nearest Donut place. You're obviously not Canadian. It's "doughnut." Also, it's "Tim Horton's" and fuck the rest of the places. And I will defend curling as a wonderful pass-time. Not quite sure if it actually qualifies as a sport...

      --
      Canada: The US's more awesome sibling.
    6. Re:ya know what i'm talk aboot eh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      If only Timmies was as good as it was a few years ago when they actually made their products instore, rather than in factories and shipped frozen.

      Sigh.

    7. Re:ya know what i'm talk aboot eh? by Xentalion · · Score: 2, Informative

      You forgot studying to become America's heroes. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiefer_Sutherland http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Shatner

    8. Re:ya know what i'm talk aboot eh? by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 1

      Nearest Donut place. You're obviously not Canadian. It's "doughnut." Also, it's "Tim Horton's" and fuck the rest of the places. And I will defend curling as a wonderful pass-time. Not quite sure if it actually qualifies as a sport...

      I'm a dual citizen and ex-Army Sergeant in the CAF.

      I spell things in 12 dialects of English, five dialects of French, 2 dialects of German, and sometimes throw in some Spanish and Latin for good measure.

      It's an Olympic Sport.

      --
      -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
    9. Re:ya know what i'm talk aboot eh? by penguinstorm · · Score: 1

      you forgot lacrosse scores, and Igloo building instructions.

      Oh wait...you also left out "how to run a banking system that doesn't collapse under its own incompetence."

      --
      Skot Nelson music is my saviour / i was maimed by rock and roll
    10. Re:ya know what i'm talk aboot eh? by Krokus · · Score: 2, Informative

      And I will defend curling as a wonderful pass-time.

      This is the second time I've seen someone use the non-word "passtime", so I'm going Spelling Nazi on your ass. "Passtime" or "pass-time" is not a word. The word you're looking for is "pastime."

      Before you mod me off-topic, please note I am just as off-topic as the parent and just as informative. :D

    11. Re:ya know what i'm talk aboot eh? by Yaztromo · · Score: 4, Funny

      ...and learning how to best serve as America's hat.

      I guess you weren't given the memo concerning our new motto:

      Canada: We're on top, bitches!

      Yaz.

    12. Re:ya know what i'm talk aboot eh? by twidarkling · · Score: 1

      I know it's an Olympic Sport. My cousin was on Canada's team. But there's something in me that just can't bring myself to call people screaming "harder" at guys with brooms a sport.

      --
      Canada: The US's more awesome sibling.
    13. Re:ya know what i'm talk aboot eh? by twidarkling · · Score: 1

      Ah, thanks. I knew it wasn't "passedtime," but never used it in a formal setting, so never bothered to look it up. I shall now update my internal dictionary.

      --
      Canada: The US's more awesome sibling.
    14. Re:ya know what i'm talk aboot eh? by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 2, Informative

      So you don't like the women's teams then ...

      By the way, people in BC and Alberta don't say aboot.

      --
      -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
    15. Re:ya know what i'm talk aboot eh? by zarthrag · · Score: 1

      +1 pwned!

      --
      Why can't all fpga/microcontroller manufacturers just release free optimizing compilers???
    16. Re:ya know what i'm talk aboot eh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      good for you. have a cookie.

    17. Re:ya know what i'm talk aboot eh? by twidarkling · · Score: 1

      Being from Alberta, I knew that one too. It's the most annoying thing ever. Every person from the US I talk to wants to hear me say "aboot." It'd be like my asking someone from Texas to say the Minnesotan "Don'tcha know?" I pronounce it "ab-ow-t." Not "aboot."

      Aaaaaaaaaaaaaand now I'm flashing back to the old "My name is Joe, and I am Canadian" commercial.

      --
      Canada: The US's more awesome sibling.
    18. Re:ya know what i'm talk aboot eh? by ceoyoyo · · Score: 1

      There are other places that sell doughnuts? I heard there was some Crispy Creme place that everyone was worried about, but they didn't last long.

      Curling is much more of a sport when you throw rocks from both ends at the same time.

    19. Re:ya know what i'm talk aboot eh? by jonwil · · Score: 1

      And how to be lumberjacks.

    20. Re:ya know what i'm talk aboot eh? by grcumb · · Score: 3, Funny

      And I will defend curling as a wonderful pass-time.

      This is the second time I've seen someone use the non-word "passtime", so I'm going Spelling Nazi on your ass. "Passtime" or "pass-time" is not a word. The word you're looking for is "pastime."

      Past time someone passed time parsing 'pastime'.

      --
      Crumb's Corollary: Never bring a knife to a bun fight.
    21. Re:ya know what i'm talk aboot eh? by grcumb · · Score: 1

      And how to be lumberjacks.

      So? I'm a lumberjack and I'm okay with that.

      [Enter plaid chorus...]

      --
      Crumb's Corollary: Never bring a knife to a bun fight.
    22. Re:ya know what i'm talk aboot eh? by grcumb · · Score: 1

      That's ridiculous. Where would the US get its newscasters, comedians, and singer/songwriters from if not for Canada?

      Heh, you've got the emphasis all wrong:

      Who would Canada foist all its second-rate newscasters, comedians, and singer/songwriters on if not the US?

      You're welcome. 8^)

      --
      Crumb's Corollary: Never bring a knife to a bun fight.
    23. Re:ya know what i'm talk aboot eh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0


      and learning how to best serve as America's hat.

      Actually in Canada we think of the US as "Canada's Toilet"

    24. Re:ya know what i'm talk aboot eh? by uniquegeek · · Score: 1

      Even better... out here, we call them "Timmy Ho's".

    25. Re:ya know what i'm talk aboot eh? by Reed+Solomon · · Score: 1

      Curling turns into a sport after the 7th beer

    26. Re:ya know what i'm talk aboot eh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      why bother regulating them? all Canadians use the internet for is to search for hockey scores, maple syrup, beavers, learning how to become a mountie, and learning how to best serve as America's hat.

      I've always thought of America as Canada's asshole - most of the time you are full of crap.

    27. Re:ya know what i'm talk aboot eh? by thirty-seven · · Score: 1

      Nobody says "a-boot", except the guys on South Park.

      --

      Atheism is a religion to the same extent that not collecting stamps is a hobby.

    28. Re:ya know what i'm talk aboot eh? by Dan9999 · · Score: 1

      and people from new brunswick and nova scotia

    29. Re:ya know what i'm talk aboot eh? by Strider- · · Score: 1

      Well, given that in Curling, Beer is a performance enhancing drug, it's my kind of sport!

      --
      ...si hoc legere nimium eruditionis habes...
  5. Managed Domain by B_SharpC · · Score: 0

    A managed domain is needed. eg www.example.man
    I own the copyright and patent to this idea. Hence I get to be the omnipotent, omnipresent and omni-compassionate manager.

    Seriously, imagine a domain without spam. 95% of domains are useless, parked advertisements. I'd manage those into non-existence.

    --
    Score & Karma: SASA: Slashdot Approval Seekers Anonymous
  6. Canada and Mexico should agree on regs by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I think Canada and Mexico should agree on the new regulations and then force the US to comply with them under NAFTA.

    And restore copyright to the original 17 years with renewals until the literal person (not corporation) dies and no renewals after that.

    Canada has twice the bandwidth at half the price we suckers in the USA pay for.

    --
    -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
    1. Re:Canada and Mexico should agree on regs by Red+Flayer · · Score: 1

      Canada has twice the bandwidth at half the price we suckers in the USA pay for.

      Some of that has to do with the fact that we adopted the tech a generation earlier than Canada... and then we forgot^H^H^H^H^H^H ran away with the cash we were supposed to use to upgrade with.

      --
      "Trolls they were, but filled with the evil will of their master: a fell race..." -- J.R.R. Tolkien on Olog-hai
    2. Re:Canada and Mexico should agree on regs by TubeSteak · · Score: 1

      I think Canada and Mexico should agree on the new regulations and then force the US to comply with them under NAFTA.

      So you want the **AA to lobby their Canadian and Mexican counterparts to pressure their respective governments into complying with their demands?

      There's already a word for that: harmonization.
      Get a shitty law passed overseas and then "harmonize" your laws with the foreign one.

      I guess what I'm really saying is that there's no reason to believe that Canada or Mexico will behave in a way that aligns with y/our interests over those of the media industries.

      --
      [Fuck Beta]
      o0t!
    3. Re:Canada and Mexico should agree on regs by jpedlow · · Score: 2, Interesting

      p>Canada has twice the bandwidth at half the price we suckers in the USA pay for.

      I've spotted a crazyperson!... The USA is the land of the $50 (or less, i mean, cogent's $4) megabit/sec. Up here, I pay $142/megabit, without any bandwidth factored In. I spend nearly 2 grand a month on a 10 meg line, with 250gigs of transfer. I'm trying to make a small DC up in BC, and it's brutal, there's no way we can even dream of competing with US prices, not because of the dollar factor, but just because you guys get data for so rediculously cheep. And then there's cellphones! You guys can get unlimited phone/data lines, for less than a hundred a month, we get 4 gigs of data and 200 minutes for $85 a month. No unlimited anything.

    4. Re:Canada and Mexico should agree on regs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm far from the only one who got unlimited data for $15/mo via Telus when they were struggling to retain customers who otherwise might've run to the iPhone. And I assume you've also talked to Shaw's BigPipe, not just Telus for DC data? I know they offer 5 Mbps symmetric w/ 200 GB transfer for 200/mo retail (+10 per static IP > 1), but have no experience with custom pricing.

    5. Re:Canada and Mexico should agree on regs by Idiomatick · · Score: 1

      You don't live in Canada you live out west.... Canada is located in southern Ontario.

    6. Re:Canada and Mexico should agree on regs by quacking+duck · · Score: 1

      Hold on, are you talking about consumer internet? Because that's what I assumed the GP was talking about, and I'm paying about $50+tax/month for 10 Mbps (1.2 MB/s) with 60 GB transfer.

      You're right about cellphone and dataplan rates sucking ass though. Add to that a *3 year* contract, that was enough to make me pass on the latest and greatest smartphones.

    7. Re:Canada and Mexico should agree on regs by sayfawa · · Score: 1

      LOL. Or maybe he's one of those freaks in the maritimes.

      Anyway, I've got a new signature.

      --
      Free the Quark 3 from asymptotic confinement! Bring your charm! Don't get down! All colours and flavours welcome!
    8. Re:Canada and Mexico should agree on regs by SilverJets · · Score: 1

      You guys can get unlimited phone/data lines, for less than a hundred a month, we get 4 gigs of data and 200 minutes for $85 a month. No unlimited anything.

      Try Telus. The only cell carrier in Canada I found that has an unlimited data plan. It was about $40. Bell and Rogers can suck my left nut.

    9. Re:Canada and Mexico should agree on regs by DarthVain · · Score: 1

      Hey Ontario, Newfoundland called. They want their jokes back!

      So hows that whole GM thing working out for you? EI eh? Lazy buggers! I hear no one has jobs there. Talk funny too! Well anyhoo, off to the oil to work smell ya later!

    10. Re:Canada and Mexico should agree on regs by jpedlow · · Score: 1

      Good call, on both fronts. :) Forgot about telus.

  7. Come to its senses? by Secret+Rabbit · · Score: 1

    Admittedly, I haven't been putting this issue under a microscope. But, I had the distinct impression that it wasn't the CRTC that was attempting regulation, but rather the politicians that were trying to push that through. History supports this as the CRTC has always been reasonable (with few exceptions) overall.

    So, in reality, what this more than likely was, was a bunch of corps/etc and politicians trying to do something unreasonable. Then the CRTC went and looked into it (because they would have to) and decided to uphold the reality that the internet cannot be regulated (yes, this has come up before).

    Good on the CRTC.

  8. Is this a good or a bad thing? by Arancaytar · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Don't we *want* regulation in order to ensure net neutrality?

    Who are we rooting for right now?

    1. Re:Is this a good or a bad thing? by joelmax · · Score: 1

      We want net neutrailty, but the general consensus amongst those pushing for it is that regulation is bad because it can be abused... what I see happening is that net neutrality will be sort of forced onto the networks by setting up systems specifically designed to mask the data such that traffic shaping and DPI techs are rendered useless. It will be nice because net neutrality will be in place, but it will suck because you wont just be paying your ISP for access and going.

    2. Re:Is this a good or a bad thing? by Arancaytar · · Score: 1

      And because ISPs will retaliate by promising "unlimited" plans, and then cutting you off if it turns out to be unprofitable for them. Even if they can't shape the traffic, they can still throttle the bandwidth to their own users.

      ISP: "It's a bit more expensive, but you get all the bandwidth in the world."
      Customer: "Sweet, now to BitTorrent..."
      ISP: "Whoops, we didn't think you'd use all that much. Goodbye!"
      Customer: "Breach of contract!"
      ISP: "Haha, sue us. See if you can afford a lawyer."

  9. DMCA != Stringent copyright law by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    There is no Fair Use for example in the UK. "Fair Dealing" isn't as extensive. Ergo, the UK law WITHOUT a DMCA law enacted was more strict than the US.

  10. NAFTA? by DarthVain · · Score: 1

    LOL HA! Like the US has always complied with NAFTA?

    NAFTA is only accepted by the US when it is convenient to do so. They will do whatever they bloody well want.

  11. Sympatico: Microsoft Stooge by camperdave · · Score: 1

    Seems like Microsoft has bought out Sympatico. www.sympatico.ca redirects to sympatico.msn.ca now. Not sure when that happened, but I'm sure I don't like it.

    --
    When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
    1. Re:Sympatico: Microsoft Stooge by chrish · · Score: 1

      Bell got into bed with MSN (and Rogers got into bed with Yahoo!) so they wouldn't actually have to provide any of the services they offer (such as email) as part of their broadband service.

      Recently (the last year or so?) Bell reabsorbed the Sympatico brand so they could call all of their stuff "Bell".

      --
      - chrish