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mattdemers:

Hey Canadians; if you use the Internet, you should be paying attention to this.

Giant telecoms have successfully gotten the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to impose something called Usage-Based Billing (UBB) on Canadians who use the Internet.

UBB involves the lowering of Internet caps and the increase of fees involved if you go over them. It also eliminates the cost-effectiveness of offering unlimited packages, which is something Independent ISPs had over the bigger guys.

So instead of a 200gb cap with Chatham, Ontario ISP Teksavvy, customers will be reduced down to 25gb for the same price. Customers who go over that cap (or fail to pay more for more bandwidth) will be charged upwards of $2 a gig.

What is infuriating about this course of action is that these telecoms are partly doing this to dissuade you from using movie streaming services like Netflix, or watching TV shows via websites like iTunes, CTV, CityTV, the Comedy Network, or other unsavoury means.

With many households cutting off their cable services in favour of streaming, companies like Bell and Rogers need to find a way to stop that: and they are, through Usage-Based Billing. If someone has to choose between streaming a HD movie through Netflix (which they’re already paid for through subscription) and going over their cap, what do you think they’re going to do?

This is further compounded by the fact that Bell and Rogers have their own movie and TV streaming services, which are separate from their Internet downloading packages; they don’t count towards your Internet cap with the same company if you use them. In essence, they want your business, and if you don’t buy through them, you’re going to pay out the ass.

I made this post so people can spread the word, and know that there’s resources out there for people to get educated before they start losing their heads. Please, don’t mindlessly protest: do some reading and know that this is something that will affect all of us, and the future openness of the Internet.

Stop The Meter.ca

OpenMedia.ca

A nice Editorial on this

AntiUBB.com

The CRTC Ruling