Slashdot Mirror
CTRC Orders Big ISPs To Provide Matching Speeds For Resellers
Meshach writes "In Canada there has been a regulatory decision rendered by the CRTC ordering ISPs to provide the same speed to resellers as they do for their own customers. 'Smaller internet providers such as Teksavvy and Execulink had argued that without requirements to offer matching speeds, the big companies would put them out of business. Bell and Telus are selling internet connections of up to 25 and 15 megabits per second respectively over newer fibre-based networks, but smaller providers can typically offer speeds of no more than five megabits per second over older copper-based infrastructure. After holding a public hearing earlier this year, the CRTC now says it will allow phone companies to charge smaller providers an extra 10-per-cent mark-up to use their newer infrastructure in order to recoup the costs of their investments. The regulator also said it would require cable companies to modify their existing internet access services to make it easier for smaller, "alternative" providers to connect to them.'"
The CRTC did something reasonable for a change! Woo!
That's a step in the right direction, however the lines are still owned by the monopolies, and they still set the base prices.
The summary left out the "up to..." with regard to speeds.
"National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
For those foreign readers one must realize that in Canada we have very little competition in that the competitors don't really try and compete. I doubt they conspire but they just like things as they are. With each other cut throat is just not in their nature. But for newcomers cut throat does not even begin to describe the environment. The cards have been traditionally stacked against anyone new. If a newcomer does somehow make it then they are usually bought out by one of the monsters.
But there has been a sea change. The CRTC(our FCC) that seems to have supported this anti consumer situation is no longer friends with the government and thus the big players have lost their biggest weapon to stop annoying things like pro-consumer companies. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out.
Interestingly enough this is not part of an anti-big-business campaign like the Democrats in the US but a pro level playing fields campaign.
If the government continues on this path we might have a chance to have one of the greatest internet systems at low cost that is found on earth. As a heavy user of this sort of technology I can't wait.
CTRC should read CRTC..messed up banner
when in doubt press enter and we'll figure it out later..
If only they would do that here. There's a local ISP here called Cloud 9 Internet which has EXCELLENT service. I'd much rather use them. However I'm forced to deal with Verizon (who don't even know how to route a CIDR block to me) to get my 35Mbps symmetric connection. It' infuriating.
This is separate from the 60GB UBB cap. So now you can run into a wall faster.
The problem isn't copper vs. fiber. The problem is that the large telcos who own the backbones and built the networks with government funding/subsidies were forced to open up the copper networks to other smaller players on a reseller basis. Now that fiber to the home is being rolled out, they are not obligated (until now) to grant access to the fiber networks.
The small companies don't own the physical wires and so by not letting them access the next generation infrastructure rollout, the monopolistic big companies can effectively force them out of the market.
I'm out of my mind right now, but feel free to leave a message.....
Welcome to Canada? We have 33m people, and the majority of them live in a 100mi corridor along the US border. And where cable won't go, in some cases all you can get is copper.
Om, nomnomnom...
Yes, but that's a separate problem which "matching speeds" or "network neutrality" doesn't solve. That's a problem with "monopoly", plain and simple.
They should rule against Bell Canada for pretending to have fiber services with their DSL "Fibe" network
I don't know about you guys, I'm on the high/highest end internet connection and have been for the last 10 years. Over that time my bandwidth has increased about 6X down and 16X up for roughly the same price. So 10% premium is roughly 10 years to recoup costs but will they really be able to sell there 25Mbps connection for anything like the same price 10 years from now? It will be the discount bin $20/mth "highspeed" by then. That is the problem, network gear lasts a bit longer than servers but I'd say its half life is less than 10 years now.
I'm not sure on the government subsidies, haven't heard of them but it doesn't mean they didn't exist. The problem is if the government said something like "it doesn't make sense to wire the country, but if you do it we'll help so that it will give you a good profit" and I went out and wired the country I would expect to own that stuff I just laid. Similar to a subsidy on purchasing a car say, once I bought the car I claim the subsidy, but I still expect to own the car. I don't want the government to come next year and say "we are starting a carpool and you need to lend your car for 5 hrs a day since we helped pay for it".
For one group that has a major chance of running Australia - copper and wireless are the future! None of this "obsolete optical technology" for them! They are of course noisy idiots.
For comparison to those outside of Canada:
My current ISP is Rogers Inc and I'm using their 15mbit/1mbit package which costs about $54 and comes with about 90GB cap (that's not a misprint).
Since I'm a heavy user, I always end up using upwards of 300gb/month, which they charge extra for. My total monthly bill is always $102.
Now, I can get the same speed service with NO bandwidth cap from "Montreal-DSL" for $54 flat. The two big ISP's Rogers and Bell will now be losing half of the money I was giving to them each month just for being total dicks, and I'm calling to start the switch over tomorrow morning.
The magical number is: 09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0