Skyrocketing broadband prices: warning
p2pnet news view Freedom | P2P:- The federal government should “correct” a CRTC decision that’s harmful to competition in broadband Internet, Ethernet and other next generation communications services has been launched, says a new online campaign.
Bell and Telus could shut out competitors if the ruling is allowed to stand, say MTS Allstream, the Canadian Association of Internet Service Providers, the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses and nearly two dozen individual companies from across Canada.
Campaign for Competitive Broadband members say their goal is to ensure network facilities built with the benefit of an “historic monopoly and guaranteed rate of return” are accessible to competitors who want to offer choice in services to businesses and consumers.
They want Canadians to sign online petition, email the federal government, the CRTC and their local MP, and encourage others to join the campaign.
“Canadian small and medium size businesses pay the most expensive prices for high-speed broadband among all OECD countries, except for the Slovak Republic, and this CRTC decision would only make things worse,” said MTS Allstream chief corporate cfficer Chris Peirce.
“It would open the door to a re-monopolization of the kind of telecom services that are critical to the success and competitiveness of businesses across Canada. Bell and Telus would be better off, everyone else will be a loser.”
Says CAIP chairman Tom Copeland:
“Over decades, companies like Bell and Telus built networks supported by federal rules which created telephone service monopolies.
“This was effectively a subsidy by taxpayers so that all Canadians could have an interconnected telecommunications network. Once built, the federal government enacted a number of rules, one of which required Bell and Telus to allow competitors to use these networks at prices regulated by the CRTC. This ensured competitive pricing, and spurred innovation – all of which is now threatened by the CRTC decision to lift these rules.”
MTS Allstream says it’s also filed its own petition to the federal cabinet asking it to take the necessary steps to have the CRTC recognize that competitive access to broadband and the Internet is essential for Canadians and Canadian businesses.
(Cheers, Marc)
First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win ~ Mahatma Gandhi
September, 2009
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September 10th, 2009 at 9:44 pm
As somebody who has subscribed to MTS highspeed Internet service for the last few years, I find it a bit hypocritical that they would take a position like this. I have had to pay 4 – 5% increases each year, and was not advised in advance of any of these increases. They just appeared on the monthly bill without any notice. If they are so concerned about Canadians paying high prices for broadband, why are they themselves doing their best to increase the prices their customers pay?
September 10th, 2009 at 9:51 pm
Email them and ask. Post your Email you send here, then lets see if they reply.
September 11th, 2009 at 8:14 am
Considering the ties certain high ranking members of the CRTC have to the corporations in question, all of whom have the most to gain from the massive conflict of interest found therein, are we really all that surprised by such news?