Save Our Net campaign
p2pnet news view Freedom | P2P:- Canadians who don’t want to see the Net as we know it destroyed should urgently contact the CRTC before it hands down its decision on the Canadian Alliance of Internet Service Provider`s (CAIP) application to have Bell stop throttling online traffic, says SaveOurNet.ca.
Get your personal ball rolling by going here http://saveournet.ca/content/take-action.
Or file a complaint of your own via: www.crtc.gc.ca/RapidsCCM/Register.asp?lang=E
“Allowing Bell, Rogers and other ISPs to throttle third party Internet traffic limits ISP competition and puts the breaks on online innovation and free speech,” declares SaveOurNet.ca coalition co-founder Steve Anderson, going on:
“Throttling not only restricts the services that users have paid for, it also hinders innovation, entrepreneurship, new media and freedom of speech. The CRTC needs to ensure in its ruling that Canada maintains net neutrality, the guiding rule that preserves a free, open and non-discriminatory Internet. Net neutrality mandates that ISPs operate their networks without regard to the content that flows over them.”
Until recently, Canada’s Internet was an open network — a level playing field for free speech and innovation, says the campaign site, continuing:
“All that is now threatened by a handful of corporations that want to control a ‘gatekeeper network’ in which they decide what content and services get the fastest access to our homes.
These companies have been caught:
- Throttling or slowing Internet traffic to businesses and consumers;
- Blocking access to websites that criticized them;
- Crippling consumer devices and applications.
“If Bell continues to throttle access to the Internet in a discriminatory way (by, for example, actively manipulating traffic flow speeds for Third Party ISPs), independent and small-scale media producers won`t be able to effectively serve their audiences,” says Anderson.
“Allowing Bell, Rogers and other ISPs to continue their throttling practices will eliminate competition, restrict freedom in the flow of information, and remove transparency in Canada’s Internet environment.”
In April, CAIP, which represents some 55 smaller Canadina ISPs and, by default, their customers, demanded the CRTC (Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission) order Bell to Cease and Desist its bandwidth shackling activities.
The CRTC hummed and hawed, finally promising a decision by October 31.
However, nothing has been forthcoming.
“CRTC chairman Konrad von Finckenstein (right), a former judge, is clearly finding it extremely difficult to weigh the vested, self-serving interests of giant telecommunications company Bell Canada against the genuine interests of its customers, as well as those of smaller ISPs who rely on it,” p2pnet posted recently.
Ordinary people, public interest groups and company owners have argued Bell’s discriminatory throttling practices violate Section 27(2) of the Telecommunications Act.
It states, “No Canadian carrier shall, in relation to the provision of a telecommunications service or the charging of a rate for it, unjustly discriminate or give an undue or unreasonable preference toward any person, including itself, or subject any person to an undue or unreasonable disadvantage.”
Contact the CRTC to make sure Big Telecoms don’t gain complete control of the Internet.
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November 12th, 2008 at 11:24 am
Done! Hope it counts.
November 12th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
Up to this point CRTC has done back room meetings with lobbyists, delayed decisions, was ready to rule against the wishes of the people and net neutrality, probably still is.
What more proof do you want that they are in bed with corporations and or are trying to weasel out of it? What more proof do you want that they are Not working for the protection of the people as they were designed to do? You can send all the letters you want and they will just delay more or try to weasel out of it.
The only way they will be forced to make a good decision is if Canadians start sending in Notices of Understanding and Intent stamped by a Notary Public. As an ex-judge Finckenstein knows very well that this would force him and CTRC to act and reply within 3 days of every Notice.
It would also force them to make a decision in favor of net neutrality since in every Notice you can tell them to provide full disclosure of their proceedings, who is involved, in which way, their data, and the rest. As part of Remedy demand “full net neutrality” and losses due to Bell’s inappropriate dishonorable practices. I think that’s the best money and smarts could get for any decision.
I’m wondering why Canadians are so gullible as to not do this in the first place?
November 12th, 2008 at 8:17 pm
letter sent yesterday, no reply but not counting on 1. As long as the message gets across that canadians are awaiting the CRTC ruling and that we care enough to take the time to write them then maybe just maybe these people will take off their corporate blinders and start acting in the interest of the consumers.
doubt this will do anything but then again I cant imagine a newly appoint ombudsman ignoring hundreds if not thousands of emails.
November 12th, 2008 at 9:24 pm
^^ “doubt this will do anything but then again I cant imagine a newly appoint ombudsman ignoring hundreds if not thousands of emails.”
Or even 2,000. Or 1,000, Or 500. Or 25. Or even 10
Know what I mean?
Cheers!