Slashdot Mirror
Usage Based Billing In Canada To Be Rescinded
theshowmecanuck writes "The Prime Minister of Canada and the Minister of Industry are set to reverse a ruling by the CRTC (Canadian Radio and Television Commission) allowing big Cable and Telecom companies to charge based on bandwidth usage. The ruling applied to both retail customers and smaller ISPs buying bandwidth wholesale from the major companies. The head of the CRTC has been called to testify before cabinet on why they want to allow the big internet providers to do this. In this case the elected government agrees with the very large number of angry Canadians that this was bad for competition. Most Canadians see this as a bureaucracy aided cash grab with very suspect timing since companies like Netflix are starting to move into the Canadian market (big cable companies lowered caps and increased usage fees a week before Netflix started Canadian operations). The CRTC has a fair number of ex-industry executives on the board."
i hate every unlimited-only package that i have
AT&T moving to tiered pricing on their mobile internet saved me $240/year
why consumers think they want fewer options is beyond me
Change providers?
Oh that's right you can't because the GOVERNMENT won't let you. (Government created the monopoly that screws us. Thank you County Council. Grrr.)
"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." - historian Evelyn Beatrice Hall
>>>The post office is self-sufficient
Maybe in Canada, but our US Post Office is billions in debt. If it were a company it'd probably go bankrupt soon. - I'd prefer that the US Congress subcontract to a private company such as UPS or FedEx (or both) to handle to-the-door deliveries. At least they know how to operate with a profit.
As for roads, many US bridges are in sorry shape (according to the DOT) and on the verge of collapse like the Minneapolis bridge.
>>>Internet seems like a perfectly natural monopoly
Not really. Internet can run on the width of a hair (fiber optic). There's really no reason why you can't run 50+ companies to each home (as part of 1 centimeter-thick cable), and let the customer decide which one he wants. There's no need for monopoly anymore.
"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." - historian Evelyn Beatrice Hall