Stop the Meter: CRTC's Usage-Based Billing for Internet Services

[Dark Rage]

As you all know, the CRTC has recently passed a bill to allow usage-based billing (UBB). Anyone who has DSL internet will immediately feel their bills skyrocketing as their monthly bandwidth cap (or unlimited cap) has shrunk or will shrink to 25 GB/month.

As a person who uses his computer for everything (videos, TV, communication, etc.) I know that I am not pleased by this price gouging-in-disguise bill. And if your family uses the internet a lot, you know for sure that this ridiculously low monthly cap will guarantee that you'll pay higher fees.

Please voice your concerns by sending an email to Government officials (or even snail mail to your local MPP!) here:

Stop the Meter:
http://openmedia.ca/meter

Please voice your concerns and let the government know that this ridiculous bill shouldn't be allowed! Thank you.

[Nemesis Predaking]

I've been reading up on this for the last few days & (unless I'm just thick in the head) I'm not understanding this at all.

Myself, I'm currently on Roger's 125GB plan & normally fall under that (not by much). So how would this effect me ?

So could somebody "dumb" this down for me ?
I'm just not getting it.

[Dark Rage]

Originally Posted by Nemesis Predaking

I've been reading up on this for the last few days & (unless I'm just thick in the head) I'm not understanding this at all.

Myself, I'm currently on Roger's 125GB plan & normally fall under that (not by much). So how would this effect me ?

So could somebody "dumb" this down for me ?
I'm just not getting it.

It hasn't affect you...yet.

It's only a matter of time before other ISPs start to implement these rules and increase the overall cost of internet services to everyone. Some people with Rogers who had their monthly bandwidth cap lowered already. This new

I'm not affected yet either, but I know that I can be in the future, and that's why I think action is needed now, rather than later.

[Nemesis Predaking]

So, if I'm getting this right.
Basically this will allow ISP's to lower all bandwidth allocations & charge even more money for when you end up going over?

[Dark Rage]

Originally Posted by Nemesis Predaking

So, if I'm getting this right.
Basically this will allow ISP's to lower all bandwidth allocations & charge even more money for when you end up going over?

Yes. Bell has already slashed all their packages to 25 GB/month. The only different in their packages is their download/upload speed. So, what, you want to go over/reach your cap in 3 weeks or 1 week? If you signed up with them, you're getting/entitled to much less bandwidth than you were a month ago.

This essentially kills competition for ISPs. Third party internet providers lose their competitive edge. Small businesses are already getting hammered.

This benefits only Rogers and Bell, and everybody else loses (including more of their money).

Rogers is just shutting up right now, while Bell takes most of the flak at the moment, but when it cools down, don't think that they won't pull a move that's just as infuriating to customers.

[Alexander Quinn]

Unless I'm wrong, Rogers did this to me literally months ago. If I go over the 25 GB usage, they can charge me up to an extra $50/month for it. It doesn't really effect me much though, since in the past two years I've only ever hit 24 GB once. Still annoying though, so you have my support.

[onecoin]

I think this is fair. There was nothing more annoying to me than having my uploads for assignments crash just so I can watch the guy at the workstation beside me torrent the latest episode of Naruto. If a person needs the internet, its fair that it be paid for, this should remove all the frivolous high bandwith activity.

[Nemesis Predaking]

Originally Posted by Dark Rage

Yes. Bell has already slashed all their packages to 25 GB/month. The only different in their packages is their download/upload speed. So, what, you want to go over/reach your cap in 3 weeks or 1 week? If you signed up with them, you're getting/entitled to much less bandwidth than you were a month ago.

This essentially kills competition for ISPs. Third party internet providers lose their competitive edge. Small businesses are already getting hammered.

This benefits only Rogers and Bell, and everybody else loses (including more of their money).

Rogers is just shutting up right now, while Bell takes most of the flak at the moment, but when it cools down, don't think that they won't pull a move that's just as infuriating to customers.

Well that's just lovely. Rogers makes a pretty fucking penny off me a month right now.
I don't even want to know what my monthly bill would be if I was capped to 25GB a month & then charged extra for every GB I go over.
Hell 60gb from Rogers Base package was never even close to enough for me.

[Dark Rage]

Originally Posted by onecoin

I think this is fair. There was nothing more annoying to me than having my uploads for assignments crash just so I can watch the guy at the workstation beside me torrent the latest episode of Naruto. If a person needs the internet, its fair that it be paid for, this should remove all the frivolous high bandwith activity.

I don't see how some guy bit torrenting at a workplace/school/library is related to this. We're talking about households. I think it can be fair too, if implemented properly and fairly.
1. The monthly cap is way too low for our country that's utilizing more of internet entertainment.
2. The penalties per GB over are absurd, since its costs them literally pennies per GB.

I wanted to switch over to a small, third party DSL company for higher or no monthly caps, but with the recent UBB implemented, now I have to stick with Robbers Communications.

Stu, there are lots of alternatives for you in the suburbs, I heard good things about Allstream, but I don't know if it's offered there (mainly York Region).


There's obviously a more sinister reason to this UBB, Rogers and Bell are obviously losing customers who ditch the cable bill and use internet only, reducing their profits. They want more control by forcing us to fork over more money for internet service fees instead of a TV cable bill. And since the CRTC is all run by former Media companies, this pretty much looks like a legal cartel.


Here's an analogy: You paid $5 for a 5L carton of orange juice. CRTC UBB comes into effect: You pay the same amount, but you get a measley 250 ml carton only. And many of the other orange juice brands have followed suit.

[Robimus]

I read that they will be charging $2.00 per unit over the limit when it costs them .03 cents somewhere.

Thats what appears to be an issue to me. Not that they should charge more to those who use more, that I get - but a 10,000 plus % mark up seems a little unfair.