Today the CRTC revealed its new framework in regards to Internet usage.
“Canada is the first country to develop and implement a comprehensive approach to internet traffic management practices” — CRTC chairman Konrad von Finckenstein
Here are the dramatic changes the CRTC is putting in place to make sure those big ol’ ISPs like Rogers, Bell, Telus and Shaw keep in line:
- 30 days notice required before any “network management changes”
- traffic-shaping (throttling) only as a “last resort” – but still A-OK!
- charging “consumers rates based on how much bandwidth they use each month, or offer discounts during off-peak hours”
The ISPs can pretty much do everything they have been doing and on top of that have now been given the green light to soak subscribers with even higher fees based on some undefined standard of usage. The notion that they would offer discounts for off-peak hours is, of course, laughable.
This has to be one of the mushiest, dunderheaded set of regulations I have ever seen. Not surprisingly, all of the major telecom companies are pretty much fine with it.
