Last Updated on: 22nd October 2013, 10:30 am
I always thought it was the job of the CRTC to encourage competition in the industries it oversees rather than to kill it dead, but based on the usage-based internet billing decision it shat out recently, I guess I was wrong.
The Commission has ruled that not only can companies like Bell and Rogers bill individuals based on how many gigs we blow through during a cycle, but that they can also do the same thing to smaller ISPs who rent lines from them to run their own services. What this means essentially is that for these smaller companies, running a competitive service is now next to impossible. Not only will they be unable to offer a quality, unlimited package, but they’ll have to raise the cost of offering up the same old crap that the big guys offer on a smaller scale. The small providers don’t have the same abilities to undercut each other as Bell and Rogers do and can’t afford to lose money providing deals, which will effectively put them out of business because honestly, how many people are going to pay more to get less. Actually make that a lot more to get less, because Bell and Rogers have made an entire industry out of raising rates while decreasing service levels.
You can read more, including the full text of the ruling, by goinghere.
And if this makes you angry and you think it’s wrong,sign the Stop The Meter petition.Well over 12000 people have already done so, including me. I hope you will too.
