They want to put METERS on your internet usage - Canada Bends Over - Fight them with tooth and

I thought it would never happen, but alas here it stands before my eyes.

In Canada, the struggle begins.

A crossroad between our future - The last free frontier of the web is under attack.

Link to a source to combat this VIA petition

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are about to impose usage-based billing on YOU.

This means we're looking at a future where ISPs will charge per byte, the way they do with smart phones. If we allow this to happen Canadians will have no choice but to pay MUCH more for less Internet. Big Telecom companies are obviously trying to gouge consumers, control the Internet market, and ensure that consumers continue to subscribe to their television services.

These Big Telecom companies are forcing small competing ISPs to adopt the same pricing scheme, so that we have no choice but to pay these punitive fees.

This will crush innovative services, Canada's digital competitiveness, and your wallet.

We urgently need to send a clear message to Ottawa, saying that we won't stand by while some of the most profitable companies in the country indiscriminately add new fees to our Internet bills. Enough is enough.

UPDATE: The Liberals and the NDP have now come out AGAINST Internet metering. We're winning, Canada - now onto the government in power!

Help us raise awareness for this battle, this is bigger then them regulating alternative medicines, this is about them silently shutting off the oxygen supply to your internet experience that has remained free for so long.

If they can do this, who knows what else lies ahead.


Fight.

-GM

Why are they doing this? I don't want a slow connection on Xbox Live. I deserve to use the internet that I pay for.

reply to post by Gradius Maximus


They already do it, we know this meter as traffic shaping.

If they can do this, who knows what else lies ahead.

What about this?

www.abovetopsecret.com...

They already have a theoretical cap to prevent you from downloading movie after movie.

Now they will charge you by the byte.

You enjoy downloading movies, streaming live video?

Do you like free music and games?

Well then they hate you - and this is now war.

That 40.00 a month internet package is now going to cost you a whole lot more if this goes through.

They know that the cyber warriors use the most bandwith. This is a personal attack on 'you'


-GM

They can charge anyone without implementing any kind of meter, your daily traffic is loged onto the main servers of your ISP but now they just want you to pay extra if you go over your designated traffic.

As for the killswitch ... you can shut down most of the internet just by destroying 13 servers (yeah odd numbers) that are the roots ...

Originally posted by AlexIR
They can charge anyone without implementing any kind of meter, your daily traffic is loged onto the main servers of your ISP but now they just want you to pay extra if you go over your designated traffic.

As for the killswitch ... you can shut down most of the internet just by destroying 13 servers (yeah odd numbers) that are the roots ...

They are trying to herd the cattle. They already make us pay extra if we go over a cap.

This is about removing caps, and paying by the byte.

Killswitch is probably already there, if not - its well on its way.

Axe this movement now while we still can.

reply to post by Gradius Maximus


You may want this then. openmedia.ca...
A member named gardCanada replied with it from this post www.abovetopsecret.com..., which can be located in this thread. www.abovetopsecret.com...


ETA - Sorry, didn't click your link which already has it posted. Carry on.

I just called my provider, and they said that while many of the ISPs are going that way, they aren't. So good. I'm with xplornet.ca, and they're satellite service. I have a 3 year contract, for unlimited service, so I'm so glad I don't have to worry about any changes. They said if someone on their service goes way over usual bandwidth usage, they just slow their connection. I guess they figure that they're expensive enough.

I have also signed the petition anyways, because what most ISPs are trying to do is ridiculous, and totally unnecessary.
Just a money grab.

I don't see anything wrong with this. We're currently paying about $70 a month for Xfinity/Comcast Internet (tier 3 - supposed 20 Mbps download speed). It was $53 a month before we got rid of the cable-tv portion (and switched to Dish), but anyhow, the last I heard (and I haven't confirmed it yet) when Xfinity was Comcast, there was either a 250gb download limit per bill cycle or a 250gb bandwidth limit per bill cycle; I'm not sure what the difference is, but there was a cap.

If it was possible to pay less for how much we download, I'd be more than happy, but I don't mean, slower download speed - you can't stream Netflix with dial-up speed. I don't think it's fair to set a limit for bandwidth usage and everybody pays the same regardless of how much they use. The electric and gas companies don't do this. The telephone company (land-line) don't do this, so why should the internet be any different? You should pay for what you use.

The internet has only been around less than 20 years for "everybody" to use. It's about time they started tightening things up a bit on how it's used.

For now, I pay a flat $30 a month for my smart phone internet usage and I'm locked in for 2 years. If they change this anytime before my 2 years is up, or after, I can always drop this service.

AOL and Prodigy used to charge by the hour. Didn't work out so well.

As soon as someone starts trying to charge by time or byte, someone else will come along offering the same service for unlimited usage.

Don't mess with the internet. They did that in Egypt and look what happened

reply to post by BishopLord


Its exactly how gas and electricity suppliers work. You pay for what you use, usually per kw/h. Thats no different than pay as you go internet. Internet provision is a business. Where people got this notion that is some sort of human right is beyond me. ISPs can charge what they want, its their networks, their equipment. It is not a public service.

Originally posted by quackers
reply to post by BishopLord

 

Its exactly how gas and electricity suppliers work. You pay for what you use, usually per kw/h. Thats no different than pay as you go internet. Internet provision is a business. Where people got this notion that is some sort of human right is beyond me. ISPs can charge what they want, its their networks, their equipment. It is not a public service.

You are correct, ISPs can charge what they want.

Your comparison is inept, however, because it contains a logical fallacy. Comparing apples to oranges if you will.

Gas and electrical companies supply natural resources which cost money to create, and those resources deplete with usage. ISPs supply bandwidth, which costs money only initially to build the infrastructure, and is pure profit beyond that, with no depletion in supply.

That being said, the business model for those types of businesses are different. ISPs have the ability to offer unlimited-usage plans at affordable rates for everyone and every company, whereas energy companies do not.

If an ISP wants to charge by usage, another ISP will offer the same service for less, or unlimited service, for a flat fee. That's the great thing about capitalism.

Originally posted by Gradius Maximus
I thought it would never happen, but alas here it stands before my eyes.

In Canada, the struggle begins.

A crossroad between our future - The last free frontier of the web is under attack.

Link to a source to combat this VIA petition

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are about to impose usage-based billing on YOU.

This means we're looking at a future where ISPs will charge per byte, the way they do with smart phones. If we allow this to happen Canadians will have no choice but to pay MUCH more for less Internet. Big Telecom companies are obviously trying to gouge consumers, control the Internet market, and ensure that consumers continue to subscribe to their television services.

These Big Telecom companies are forcing small competing ISPs to adopt the same pricing scheme, so that we have no choice but to pay these punitive fees.

This will crush innovative services, Canada's digital competitiveness, and your wallet.

We urgently need to send a clear message to Ottawa, saying that we won't stand by while some of the most profitable companies in the country indiscriminately add new fees to our Internet bills. Enough is enough.

UPDATE: The Liberals and the NDP have now come out AGAINST Internet metering. We're winning, Canada - now onto the government in power!

Help us raise awareness for this battle, this is bigger then them regulating alternative medicines, this is about them silently shutting off the oxygen supply to your internet experience that has remained free for so long.

If they can do this, who knows what else lies ahead.


Fight.

-GM

edit on 1-2-2011 by Gradius Maximus because: (no reason given)

Thanks for sharing the petition with us! I signed and am asking relatives of mine to sign as well.

Also, apparently the Liberal and DNP parties are now officially against it (so it says on the website!)

OTTAWA – The federal government will take a closer look at a contentious ruling from Canada's telecommunications regulator that critics say squeezes consumers and stifles market competition. Industry Minister Tony Clement announced Tuesday the government will review the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission's January ruling on usage-based billing by Internet service providers and is very concerned about its impact on small businesses.

source

It looks like it's not a done deal yet as our Government is realizing that the people are getting pissed and there is talk of an election soon...

We can only hope.

reply to post by Neurolanis


Yes, its a very big deal and Government is taking notice of the rage - forward the link to everyone you can, facebook, tweet it, text it, anything you can to get the word out.

We wont let this one slip by in the night.


-GM

If my internet service is changed from what it is right now, I am prepared to just shut it off completely. I want to live my life quietly and peacefully. I will keep my home television free as well. I might just pick up some old books and start reading them.

reply to post by hardamber


I'd like to see an alternative company use this opportunity to jump up and offer an unlimited service plan for 20 bucks a month just to destroy the big ISPs - Capitalism is supposed to make things competitive, not screw us into a monopoly.

Originally posted by againuntodust

Your comparison is inept, however, because it contains a logical fallacy. Comparing apples to oranges if you will.

Gas and electrical companies supply natural resources which cost money to create, and those resources deplete with usage. ISPs supply bandwidth, which costs money only initially to build the infrastructure, and is pure profit beyond that, with no depletion in supply.

Infrastructure cost money to create and those resources deplete with usage. Network infrastructure has limited capacity, i.e. available bandwidth per end user. An ISP does not simply build a network and that's the end of it. They must constantly upgrade large proportions of their networks to cope with increased demand. Laying new cable/fibre, installing new routing equipment, ect, it's a never ending process. They must upgrade their networks in order to avoid oversubscribing, or "depletion" as well as attracting consumers with offers of faster speeds which in turn requires further investment in network infrastructure as demand increases. The analogy is not as dissimilar as it would appear you think it is.

I've been charged for useage ever since I first signed up to the 'net...which is longer ago that I can clearly remember - 15 years of more? ..a couple of cities ago on a 1200/75 modem which was lightening fast after the 300 I originaly had

At the moment I have a free allowance of 20Gb/month, then pay $2.95 per extra Gb.

What's the big deal?