Canadians get screwed by ISP

fatchowmein
fatchowmein Posts: 2,637
edited February 2011 in The Clubhouse
Are we [USA] next? :frown:

http://www.crunchgear.com/2011/02/01/usage-based-billing-hits-canada-say-goodbye-to-internet-innovation/
Usage-Based Billing Hits Canada: Say Goodbye To Internet Innovation

O, Canada, what have you done? The country’s Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, the CRTC, has passed sweeping new regulations that will force Internet Service Providers to switch to so-called usage-based billing—metered pricing, in less flowery language. That means ISPs there will charge customers by the gigabyte for Internet access, and that’s on top of a flat service fee. There’s nothing particularly new about metered pricing, but the fact that it’s being implemented on a country-wide basis surely merits a quick discussion.

It should be obvious that the only “winners” here are the ISPs (and even then, only the big ISPs who have established, old methods of content delivery to protect) who now stand to make a cool mint as a result of the new fees. Data caps have been drastically lowered—one small, independent ISP was forced to slash its cap from 200GB per month to 25GB per month—and the CRTC has set overage rates at CAD$1.90 per gigabyte over the cap. (Heaven forbid you live in the French-speaking region of the country, as you’ll be expected to cough up CAD$2.35 per gigabyte.) All that means is that you’re free to browse the Internet to the tune of 25GB per month, but the second you break through that barrier you’ll have to pay through the nose. Not fun.

The move couldn’t possibly come at a worse time for companies like Netlix and Apple, or for the everyday people who rely on them.

Services like Netflix’s video streaming chew through bandwidth like chlorofluorocarbons through the ozone layer, or like fire through Fernando Torres shirts. The average Netflix film will use around 1GB of data—and that number will only increase as Netflix improves the quality of its streams. It’s not impossible to imagine a scenario in which a casual movie viewer can quickly brush up against the aforementioned 25GB bandwidth limit.

And that’s just for Netflix, mind. What if you’re a modern Netizen who uses services like Rdio, watches funny YouTube videos, or catches up on the latest Portlandia or SNL skit? What if you use the Internet to download video games from Steam? Napoleon: Total War is something like a 20GB download in and of itself—and that’s without the fantastic Peninsular Campaign add-on!

This simply isn’t a case where “tech geeks” will be the only people negatively affected by the CTRC’s decision. You, your neighbor, and your neighbor’s neighbor are all in the same boat. And it is sinking, fast.

People have already started doing the math. It will actually be cheaper to physically ship a hard drive’s worth of data than it will be to download that same amount of data under the new usage-based billing regime. Already at your monthly bandwidth allocation but want to download the EA’s Dead Space 2 from Steam? Well, the game clocks in at 10GB, meaning that you’re looking at CAD$19 to download it, plus the price of the game itself—around $60. That’s nearly CDN$80 to download a game whose disc-based collector’s edition retails for $80 online. It’s bonkers.

How are you supposed to survive in that environment if you’re someone like Valve (the company behind Steam) or Netflix?

Or maybe that’s the whole point? The big ISPs that stand to make money hand-over-fist as a result of usage-based-billing also have their hands in plain ol’ TV distribution. A sort of: “Hate that you have to pay X-Amount per month just to watch all those Netflix films? No worries, our on-demand system has you covered!”

Either way the big ISP, and its parent company, make out just fine.

And, like always, the consumer is worse for wear. Typical.
Post edited by fatchowmein on
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  • Jstas
    Jstas Posts: 14,809
    edited February 2011
    Canada has the Internet?
    Expert Moron Extraordinaire

    You're just jealous 'cause the voices don't talk to you!
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  • mrbiron
    mrbiron Posts: 5,711
    edited February 2011
    We should dig a trench and hopefully they will float away.
    If something like that trickled down here, i'd be screwed. I watch WAY too many movies and TV shows on netflix.
    Where’s the KABOOM?!?! There’s supposed to be an Earth shattering KABOOM!!!
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  • Ricardo
    Ricardo Posts: 10,636
    edited February 2011
    Jstas wrote: »
    Canada has the Internet?

    I almost chocked with this one.
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  • megasat16
    megasat16 Posts: 3,521
    edited February 2011
    I betcha we'll see something like that very soon if not worse.
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  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited February 2011
    http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/tech-news/pm-orders-review-of-internet-billing/article1890567/
    "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
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  • Willow
    Willow Posts: 11,006
    edited February 2011
    Jstas wrote: »
    Canada has the Internet?

    At least you got Canada right:wink:
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  • Fongolio
    Fongolio Posts: 3,516
    edited February 2011
    Face wrote: »
    http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/tech-news/pm-orders-review-of-internet-billing/article1890567/

    Well maybe that a$$hole Harper will finally do something right. I was freaking when I read the op. That kind of legislation doesn't serve any real logical purpose. If the IP's need more bandwidth they'll move more to fiber optics or some new technology. By limiting bandwidth what is accomplished other than making the IP's richer because people are used to big bandwidth and programs like Netflix and will use them anyway. Sounds like the industry lobbyists behind this ruling.
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  • txcoastal1
    txcoastal1 Posts: 13,270
    edited February 2011
    Damn thats old school...When AOL first came out I ran up a $600 bill in 1month 'cause we paid by the minute...they dinged my credit and all my friends were in the same boat like when cell phones came out I was young and broke

    If that trickle down here I will be old and broke...WTF
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  • fatchowmein
    fatchowmein Posts: 2,637
    edited February 2011
    Jstas wrote: »
    Canada has the Internet?

    Ah, hell. I forgot to check Snopes!
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  • FTGV
    FTGV Posts: 3,649
    edited February 2011
    Fongolio wrote: »
    Well maybe that a$$hole Harper will finally do something right.
    Whoa easy now,he's head and shoulders above the two clown shows that preceeded him not to mention the one that almost was.:tongue:
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  • ryanjoachim
    ryanjoachim Posts: 2,046
    edited February 2011
    mrbiron wrote: »
    We should dig a trench and hopefully they will float away.
    If something like that trickled down here, i'd be screwed. I watch WAY too many movies and TV shows on netflix.

    We're already seeing this type of restriction (scaled, of course) for our phone plans. There are plenty of providers that only give 50GB a month of bandwidth for your home.

    I just want congress to pull their heads out of their asses and tell all these companies that "unlimited" does NOT mean THAT IT HAS A LIMIT.
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  • Fongolio
    Fongolio Posts: 3,516
    edited February 2011
    FTGV wrote: »
    Whoa easy now,he's head and shoulders above the two clown shows that preceeded him not to mention the one that almost was.:tongue:

    I MAY grant you that!!:confused:
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  • shack
    shack Posts: 11,154
    edited February 2011
    Jstas wrote:
    Canada has the Internet?

    Yeah...but it keeps freezing up...
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  • Polkersince85
    Polkersince85 Posts: 2,883
    edited February 2011
    We are going to run out of IP addresses in the near future anyway. We have reached the end of the internet. :eek:
    >
    >
    >This message has been scanned by the NSA and found to be free of harmful intent.<
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  • ViperZ
    ViperZ Posts: 2,046
    edited February 2011
    Almost 300,000 people already signed the petition in the last week or so. NDP and Liberals are against this decision. Harper's government is investigating, and the decision will be reached by March 1st.

    More info on http://www.openmedia.ca

    Funny thing - they reported about an hour ago on facebook that the site crashed because of the crazy amount of traffic (especially after Globe & Mail article that Harper is finally on-board).

    Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/openmedia.ca

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  • Midnite Mick
    Midnite Mick Posts: 1,591
    edited February 2011
    CRTC is sure on a roll lately.
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  • quadzilla
    quadzilla Posts: 1,543
    edited February 2011
    Polkersince85 wrote: »
    We are going to run out of IP addresses in the near future anyway. We have reached the end of the internet. :eek:

    No, this is the end of the internet.
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  • ViperZ
    ViperZ Posts: 2,046
    edited February 2011
    Petition site is back up and running...

    http://openmedia.ca/meter
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  • cokewithvanilla
    cokewithvanilla Posts: 1,777
    edited February 2011
    Polkersince85 wrote: »
    We are going to run out of IP addresses in the near future anyway.

    not anytime soon with ipv6


    Oh dear, this is bad news. If comcast gets the idea in their head, I'm screwed. Since cable companies generally have local monopolies, they would gain a whole lot and lose almost nothing from doing something like this.

    I'm sure this would get a lot of support from the movie/record industry as well. According to wikipedia, about 63% of internet traffic is torrents. I would bet that 90% of that traffic is illegal downloads. Having a 25gb cap would totally screw all forms of file sharing. Hell, you couldn't even download a single BR movie without going over your cap by 15-20 gigs. It's amazing that in this day anyone could think 25 gigs is enough for a month... ten times that isn't enough. The cap should be directly related to the speed given... so if you pay for 50mbps, you should get a 16,200 gig cap :).
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  • Fongolio
    Fongolio Posts: 3,516
    edited February 2011
    Midnite Mick wrote: »
    CRTC is sure on a roll lately.

    The CRTC is the same organization that forces "Canadian Content" on the radio still. I get supporting our own musicians but not if they suck!! If I hear one more Nickleback or Bryan Adams song I may gouge my ears off with a bottle opener.
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  • Systems
    Systems Posts: 14,873
    edited February 2011
    Jstas wrote: »
    Canada has the Internet?

    Buh?
    Next thing you know they will have indoor plumbing!:eek:
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  • FTGV
    FTGV Posts: 3,649
    edited February 2011
    pepster wrote: »
    Next thing you know they will have indoor plumbing!:eek:
    Not anytime soon in these Igloos.:wink:
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  • txcoastal1
    txcoastal1 Posts: 13,270
    edited February 2011
    Polkersince85 wrote: »
    We are going to run out of IP addresses in the near future anyway. We have reached the end of the internet. :eek:

    NO I dont want to shop at big box stores:eek::eek::eek:
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  • TECHNOKID
    TECHNOKID Posts: 4,298
    edited February 2011
    Jstas wrote: »
    Canada has the Internet?
    FTGV wrote: »
    Not anytime soon in these Igloos.:wink:
    Heh, you need plumbing when you ''Igloo, Igloo, Igloo'' too much, right?

    BTW, GV are you actually using internet in your Igloo:confused: I thought I was up to the latest technology when they installed my teletype just before I joined CP :cool: It is definitely cool to see my 5 level code perforator punch acting up on Jtas madness posts. I could almost believe the the perforator is frighthened.

    However, the downside is that I am no longer allowed to used the chads during weddings:frown: What a waste men, we now have to spend most of our time digging under the ice path to burry the chads. Honestly man, I had to stop reading Jstas posts in order to cut down on the chad burying labor. Its a trade off,either cut on the enjoyment or work my a$$ off.

    Ah, maybe I'll look into getting the inter net and go for the cheapest provider which is choosenfrozen.com.
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  • mrbigbluelight
    mrbigbluelight Posts: 9,713
    edited February 2011
    TECHNOKID wrote: »
    Heh, you need plumbing when you ''Igloo, Igloo, Igloo'' too much, right?

    BTW, GV are you actually using internet in your Igloo:confused: I thought I was up to the latest technology when they installed my teletype just before I joined CP :cool: It is definitely cool to see my 5 level code perforator punch acting up on Jtas madness posts. I could almost believe the the perforator is frighthened.

    However, the downside is that I am no longer allowed to used the chads during weddings:frown: What a waste men, we now have to spend most of our time digging under the ice path to burry the chads. Honestly man, I had to stop reading Jstas posts in order to cut down on the chad burying labor. Its a trade off,either cut on the enjoyment or work my a$$ off.

    Ah, maybe I'll look into getting the inter net and go for the cheapest provider which is choosenfrozen.com.

    Shouldn't you be saying that in French ?

    P.S. Didn't get the memo about it being "Pick On Canada Day", so I'm not very prepared. :smile:
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  • Willow
    Willow Posts: 11,006
    edited February 2011
    We have a 95gb cap a month. To date I have only come close at 91. I am not worried. Way back in the day we had unlimited with bell, mind you a max speed of 5 mb. I prefer having 15 for speed and capped at 95 gigs. This article doesn't say that most people are already on a plan similar to mine. I'm not surprised, that is media!
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  • gfong
    gfong Posts: 1,079
    edited February 2011
    Willow wrote: »
    We have a 95gb cap a month. To date I have only come close at 91. I am not worried. Way back in the day we had unlimited with bell, mind you a max speed of 5 mb. I prefer having 15 for speed and capped at 95 gigs. This article doesn't say that most people are already on a plan similar to mine. I'm not surprised, that is media!

    Have to agree with you on this, the cap on my plan is 60 gigs a month with a download speed of 10 mbps and includes 9 email addresses. Cost is $46.99 a month. I have came close once and it was because I purchased/downloaded 4games from Steam's sale over the holidays.

    If I watched TV on my computer and downloaded songs and other stuff off the internet I am sure I would go over. The plan I have works for me and Rogers the company I am with, also has plans up to a cap of 175gb if I needed that much!

    Would I like to pay less, yes I would. Back 14 years ago, I start with unlimited and through the years of having the internet it got capped. :(

    With a little more research on the subject most will find that the cap is for the local isp's that piggy back off Bell's and Rogers infrastructure, (lines) and then sell the internet to the public with no caps. Good deal if you have a local isp.

    Would I like the caps removed for everyone, sure! But I do not think that will happen.
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  • exalted512
    exalted512 Posts: 10,735
    edited February 2011
    shack wrote: »
    Yeah...but it keeps freezing up...

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  • Jstas
    Jstas Posts: 14,809
    edited February 2011
    mrbigbluelight wrote: »
    P.S. Didn't get the memo about it being "Pick On Canada Day", so I'm not very prepared. :smile:

    You know, that's EVERY day so I'm not buying your excuse. I think You're a Canadia sympathizer.
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  • Willow
    Willow Posts: 11,006
    edited February 2011
    Jstas wrote: »
    You know, that's EVERY day so I'm not buying your excuse. I think You're a Canadia sympathizer.


    Ahh that's better :wink:
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